CONGRATULATIONS, LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN. You amazed me. If Tiger, or Phil, or Lee, or Ernie, or Rory, or (fill in the blank) shot 16 under on the Old Course and won The Open Championship by seven strokes, the world would be at his feet.
I have to ask: Did you really know it was The Open Championship? I heard you mention it several times, but I still can’t help but wonder. Few untested players drop in on golf’s oldest major and make it look like they won their fourth consecutive men’s club championship.
They call you “Shrek,” so I’m going to run with the Shrek angle because I still can’t make sense of what I saw. I just can’t. I mean you no disrespect, but it seemed like pure fantasy. 200-1 odds and all that stuff about your name. My apologies in advance.
You were an ogre. You ogre-handled the field. You made the Old Course your swamp. It looked like Prince Charming (Paul Casey) would try to steal the day but it just wasn’t going to happen. Shrek rules! Donkey (your caddie) never left your side and kept you in great spirits. You were smiling and laughing from the outset of the quest. I liked Tiger, Phil and JD cast as the Three Blind Mice because they couldn’t buy a putt.
It was a super plot. Only DreamWorks could come up with something like that. No one was expecting it, a total surprise. If I have a criticism, it’s that the show dragged in the middle. I started wondering when it would end. Here was the problem: You never looked like you were in danger. To be honest, it didn’t seem like Prince Charming (or anyone else) had a chance. It was way too easy. Someone should talk to the writers.
The animation was not up to its usual standards (except for the ball tracer on the Road Hole). Nor was it the funniest Shrek movie I’ve ever seen. Sorry. However, on the plus side, I liked the ending a lot. That closing scene where you kiss Princess Fiona (Nel-Mare) with the baby in her arms was terrific.
I give you a thumbs up, Louis “Shrek” Oosthuizen. I hope there’s a sequel for you.
−The Armchair Golfer
Well said. I also did enjoy his humble gestures. Very classy. Not to mention that he seemed to be the only player who was ACTUALLY having fun! And then to win was the icing on the cake. He completely dominated the entire weekend. I find it interesting that 5 of the last 8 Open winners were first timers. I expect that trend to continue into the next season. The question is, who's next?
Remember our talk about the South African invasion? I think they just landed.
Fortunately, without vuvuzelas.
Glad to see Louie get it done on Sunday. Very deserving champion. Wonder how his game suits major championship courses on this side of the pond.
I do remember, Mike. They are an impressive bunch. Good call.
Joshua: As a golf fan, I don't mind seeing first-timers, even though I know it might hurt the widespread popularity of the sport. The casual golf fan just wanted to see Tiger win all the time. As for who's next, I have no clue. I would have not picked Louis O. in a million years, although I knew of him. I do think we can expect Rory to break though. He showed me a lot after his second-round 80.