By Julian Linden
AUGUSTA, Georgia
(Reuters) – Louis Oosthuizen’s best shot at the Masters on Sunday might also have been his worst. Like the galleries that
roared with excitement at his amazing albatross, Oosthuizen could not get it out of his mind.
putt on the 18th hole, his final in regulation, in the 2012 Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in
Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2012. Oosthuizen lost a playoff to Bubba Watson on the second hole. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
The South African thought his incredible shot, when he holed out
from 235 yards on the par-5 second hole, was a sure sign that it was his lucky day and he was going to win the green
jacket.
No matter how hard he tried, he could not clear his mind and his game started to suffer. He bogeyed the fourth
then dropped another shot at the 10th and suddenly his two-shot lead was gone.
“It was tough after that double-eagle.
When something like that happens early in your round, you think that this is it,” he told reporters.
“That was my
first double-eagle ever. So it was tough over the next five holes to just get my head around it and just play the
course.
“But I felt like I found my rhythm going down 11, and you know, played well from there.”
Oosthuizen,
who won the 2010 British Open by seven shots, putted beautifully throughout the tournament and drained a series of pressure
putts to stay in front.
But he could not shake off playing partner Bubba Watson and the pair finished tied at
10-under-par with Oosthuizen signing for a final round 69.
They went to a playoff but it was then, when it mattered
most, that his good fortune deserted him.
He narrowly missed a birdie putt on the first playoff hole that would have
given him the title.
“I don’t feel like I could have hit two better putts in the playoff,” said Oosthuizen. “It’s a
hard day, but you know, congrats to Bubba. He did brilliantly.”
On the second extra hole, the odds looked to be in
Oosthuizen’s favour when Watson drove into the trees.
But Oosthuizen, who had himself played one of the greatest
shots ever at Augusta National, could only watch as Watson produce a miracle shot of his own from the pine straw that
finished in the middle of the green.
When Oosthuizen missed his difficult downhill par putt, Watson had two putts to
win. The American needed them both but the victory was his.
“He must have a great feel of the game,” Oosthuizen
said.
“I mean, it’s great knowing you almost have every little shot there is. It’s really entertaining to play with
him, to see the shots that he’s taking on and shots that I don’t really see or I would ever hit.
“He hit the driver
so well today, and you know, takes on a lot of holes. He backs himself, and it’s nice to see, it’s really good to see.”