• Oosthuizen limps home

    Louis Oosthuizen
    Off the pace

    South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen limped into the clubhouse with a 77 after finding water on the 15th during the first round of The Masters, writes WADE PRETORIUS.

    Oosthuizen, who lost in a playoff to American Bubba Watson in 2012, got off to a dreadful start after a two-putt par at the first. What followed was four successive bogeys as the South African struggled with his game from tee to green.

    He rebounded with two birdies on 6 and 7 before turning in 38.

    Oosthuizen then found some rhythm but his putter let him down as he failed to take advantage of a lucky break on par 5 13th. His round would implode on 15 as his pitch shot on the par 5 spun back into the water leaving him a tricky 50-yard approach from the drop zone.

    The South African compounded his error by hitting his wedge long before making an 8 to drop three shots. It went from bad to worse as he made bogey on 16.

    Oosthuizen failed to convert a birdie putt on 17 before a birdie on 18 spared some of his blushes.

    At the time of writing, Branden Grace was +5 after 10 with Ernie Els +1 after 5.

    Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images

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