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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 2015

Louis Oosthuizen

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

MIKE WOODCOCK: Good evening, everyone. We'll make a start. We'd like to welcome Louis Oosthuizen, the runner-up in the Open Championship. Louis, tremendous performance this week. You came very close in the end. Can you just describe your thoughts on the playoff, and you did have two chances there with two putts and it wasn't to be today unfortunately.

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, I mean, you know, it was -- I think I did really well getting in the playoff. I had four three-putts today, but it was quite lengthy ones to start off, and I putted beautifully the whole week. I made good putts today. I made great putts coming in to be in the playoff, and you know, misread 17 and 18. I had two good putts there exactly where I wanted to, so there's not much more that I could have done on that. I think it was crucial today, the front nine you could see everyone was scoring on the front nine, and I was only -- I went through in 2-under, and that back nine was tough. When we made the turn on 12, it was -- St. Andrews showed its teeth.

Q. You obviously have an Open title here from five years ago, but I guess this is your second straight runner-up finish in a major and third overall. How tough are those to deal with, to come so close, and obviously you've had a chance to really put up some impressive numbers in the majors?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, I mean, it's never nice to lose a playoff. I've had the experience in 2012 at Augusta. I mean, you feel like you've got a really good chance of winning then, and then rather doing it during the tournament or in the fourth round. But yeah, I'll take a lot out of this week. I was really motivated to win this championship this week. I love this place. I've said it a thousand times. I can't wait for it to come back here again.

Q. Louis, second second-place finish in majors in a row now. You've got to be really pleased with the way you're performing in the big events, regardless of maybe not getting the win.
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah. I mean, I came really -- I did really well at Chambers Bay coming from a 77 first round, and this week, today, I felt I was sort of on the back foot the whole time. When I got to the 12th I was, I think, two behind starting the 12th hole, and that was tough. It was tough to find birdies out there. I'll take a lot out of the putts I made to be able to get in the playoff, the shots I pulled off, the little second on 18. I left myself a little bit too much to do probably on that pitch in the playoff. I didn't think I was going to get the driver that far up there, and awkward little spot, but did well, misread the putt, but yeah, that's how it goes, and congrats to Zach.

Q. You mentioned the way you finished the regulation round. How confident were you going into the playoff based on the way you finished?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, very confident. In a playoff you sort of find a little bit of extra adrenaline really going, and you know, making birdie on 1 and Zach follows up with his putt, and just, you know, a little bit -- not enough speed on my putt on the second, and Zach made his again, and he left the door open on 17, and I didn't take advantage of that. Yeah, I mean, you always find a little bit more in a playoff. It's normally just you and one or two guys, and it sort of becomes a little match play situation.

Q. Walking down 18 in regulation, just watching you, you had a kind of air of a man who's toughed out wars and putting in the putt on 18. Did you feel comfortable, confident, and did you feel a momentum shift with that birdie putt going in on 18?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah. You know, I had a good chance for birdie on 15, and making a great putt on 16 and another one on 17, I sort of felt, just give yourself a good chance, a good putt for birdie, and I made it. I mean, it was a bit of a different walk not having a lead down there, so all of a sudden I needed to make a birdie to get into a playoff. But after that I felt really good. I mean, I was just outplayed in the playoff.

Q. (No microphone.)
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, I'm not going to go back and say, you know, it's those putts I missed or three-putts I had. If you're not spot-on with your irons around this golf course, you're going to leave yourself 70-, 80-foot putts on some occasions, and the ones I had was really long, long putts. I made a lot of good putts this week. I did really well. I mean, I'm sure anyone can find where they might have done better, but at that time that I played, I did what I thought was the best then, and yeah, second at a major, you know, it's not first, but I'll take it.

Q. You looked at the leaderboard starting today, and there were definitely 10 guys who could have won it. There are so many players who are really playing so good. There's no one figure that's striding the game. You're all really close now.
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I mean, when I got to the fifth hole, it was a great leaderboard. I said to my caddie, this is going to be a great finish because all the names, you know, Adam came racing through, Zach came racing through, Marc, so it was great seeing everyone up there, and knew it was going to be all on the turn when we turned on 12 going into that back nine. You know, you were playing for pars, and then I played behind Jordan, and I saw him make a long putt on 16, and I just missed a makeable one on 15. So at that stage I thought I was probably going to come one short if I birdie 18. I always had the number 16 in my head. I thought if I could get to 16-under you would be in a playoff or you might win it and it was the number. I should have got there (laughing).

Q. (No microphone.)
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I hope so. I mean, this to me was probably one of the most exciting Opens, so I definitely hope it would be that way in the future. A lot of guys will take a lot of good out of this, and you know, it'll be great for golf if this is going to be the way forward.

Q. During the wind delay you were watching the Springboks and Tweeting about it. Today the Springboks were Tweeting about it. Isn't it special about South African sportsmen that they all support each other?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, that's always great watching the guys play, whether it's cricket, rugby or whatever we do. You know, we're a country that love our sports, and I'm pretty sure -- I know what the Springboks would feel like probably after they lost on Saturday, so yeah, it's just great to see those guys also watching a bit of golf.

MIKE WOODCOCK: Louis, thank you for joining us. Congratulations on a tremendous performance.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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