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Oosthuizen ready for Africa Open defense, and birth of second child

By PA Sport
Published on
Oosthuizen ready for Africa Open defense, and birth of second child

Louis Oosthuizen will be out to successfully defend his Africa Open title this week as the 2012 European Tour season gets under way.

The Africa Open at East London Golf Club is the first of three tournaments played in South Africa in January, the others being next week's Joburg Open next week and the Volvo Golf Champions at Fancourt.

Oosthuizen was still riding high as the 2010 British Open champion when he clinched the Africa Open with a birdie on the first playoff hole against Spain's Manuel Quiros and England's Chris Wood last year.

He will be hoping to get the new year off to a similarly succesful start this week -- just in time to celebrate the birth of his second child.

"It is always fun defending a title so I'm just hoping that the week runs smoothly and that I don't get a phone call from Nel-Marie or the doctor telling me to come home," Oosthuizen said.

"But, funnily enough, sometimes it's good to have your thoughts elsewhere and not solely on the golf," he added. "Of course, I'll be focused on what I have to do on the course, but in the back of my mind I'll always be mentally checking on what's going on at home.

"Obviously winning the Open was a dream come true for me, but it was always a dream of mine as well to win a co-sanctioned tournament on the European Tour back home in South Africa," he explained. "I had come close in the past at the Dunhill a few years back when Ernie won, and in the SA Open the year James Kingston won, so to do it at East London last year was very satisfying.

"It's a course where there are not a lot of driver holes and you should try and keep it low if you can. There are some tight fairways so you have to be careful, but it's also a golf course where, if you take it on and succeed, you can really shoot low numbers. It is not a long course, it is all about position."

Oosthuizen will have to contend with fellow South African Retief Goosen, winner of the title back in 2009 when he shot a final-round 65 to edge out Northern Irish players Darren Clarke and Michael Hoey and his compatriots Branden Grace and Darren Fichardt.

"I'd just turned 40 when I won in 2009, and I've always felt that winning in East London put the spark back into my career," said Goosen. "I've always enjoyed starting my season at the Africa Open and I hope that this year's tournament will spark another return to form for me.

"Every golfer wants to win, and to be successful you have to win," he added. "I would love to get my 2012 season off to a fast start, and hopefully I will be on the winning side of the final putt."

The tournament will also feature the top 20 finishers from the 2011 European Challenge Tour Order of Merit and 30 Qualifying School graduates, mostly newcomers who will all be eager to get their campaigns off to a good start.