Oosthuizen to stay on European Tour

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Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has committed himself to the European Tour for the time being.

New Open champion Louis Oosthuizen has committed himself to the European Tour for the time being – starting with the Scandinavian Masters in Sweden this week.
The South African’s seven-shot victory at St Andrews entitles him to US Tour membership, but looking remarkably fresh on Monday morning despite celebrating until 3am he was clear in his mind.
“At the moment I am playing my schedule like I would have,” he said. “I think the only difference is I am in Akron now.”
That is the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in three weeks’ time and it will be followed a week later by the USPGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, where tradition dictates he will play the first two rounds with Masters champion Phil Mickelson and US Open winner Graeme McDowell.
Oosthuizen’s brief sleep was with the Claret Jug alongside his bed, but while he will have to return that at the start of next year’s championship at Sandwich he also has in his possession a permanent reminder of his first major title.
As part of the celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the first Open in 1860 Oosthuizen was also presented with a replica of the red leather and silver buckle belt that was the original Open trophy.
The 27-year-old, a 250/1 shot before the event, is golf’s newest major champion, but it has already given him the taste for more.
“I want a few more of them,” he said. “It would be great – after winning one you want to get to the second one and after the second one you probably want to get to the third.
“I’m going to work harder and get as many as I can.”
Part of the key to his success was a red dot on his golf glove, the idea of sports psychologist Karl Morris to help him focus more with his pre-shot routine.
“It’s the first time I’ve done it and I’m very happy with the way I did it the last nine holes.”

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