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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 25, 2011

Louis Oosthuizen

SURREY, ENGLAND

SCOTT CROCKETT: Louis, thank for coming in and joining us, as always, welcome to the BMW PGA Championship. Before we look ahead, we obviously have to look back, a lot has been spoken about, at St. Andrews last year and a lot spoken about last night. Give us your thoughts coming up to almost a year as the Open Champion.
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: It's been a fun year, and you know, it had up-and-downs. You know, it was mostly positive things that were being announced every week on the tee. It was quite nice. It's been a good year. Learned quite a lot this year and I'm just looking forward to the rest of the season.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Of course off the course as well, nights like last night where you were part of the celebration of The European Tour's achievements, special, as well.
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, last night was brilliant. Just sitting there watching the whole Ryder Cup Team talking about their week, and how much it meant to each of them, and you know, I think The European Tour has had such a great season last year, and you know they are just going forward this year with five or six of the top players in the world it's just great.
SCOTT CROCKETT: And you're going forward, winning in your homeland as well earlier in the season. That must have pleased you.
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, form was quite good last year after the injury, it was still there, and then earlier this year. But just faded a bit away, and I knew it was going to be a tough season playing both tours. It's a lot of travelling and a lot of new courses and you know it's just getting used to everything. Hopefully next year will be a bit easier.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Have you had a chance to play the course this week?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, I played nine holes yesterday, and I'm going out this afternoon and it's like always at a good track. You have to hit it good off the tees. I mean, the greens are firm -- the greens are firm running really nice and I think it's going to be a good week again.
SCOTT CROCKETT: A little bit of tinkering from your fellow countryman, Ernie, on 8 and 18. What are your thoughts?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, I think I'll be thinking about it now that I've got a chance of getting to the green. Last year to me, I just never took it on and this year I think you might have a crack at it.

Q. Can you elaborate on the up-and-downs?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Golfing-wise, my game on the golf course was quite a good start earlier in the year. First week in January, winning the South African Open, and then just started fading a bit away like I said. Confidence is still there. Just working on a few things in the swing and it's getting there again. I can feel it's almost there and it's just a matter of being patient.

Q. Is it as much your own expectations of yourself now, as people expecting you to do well because you're the Open Champion? Do you have to sort of think, this is another event --
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I always say that you hope that people don't expect, well, how can I say it. I hope they expect things that I can reach. But you know, for myself, I like to raise the bar always, and to have big goals and it's just a matter of probably getting back to playing and just to have small goals weekly and monthly, and just to get back into the rhythm of playing good golf and having a bit more consistency.

Q. Can you just expand on what being Open Champion has done to your life off the course?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: It's a lot -- all new things that I need to look at. Normally every week I just sneak under the radar and play my practise round and go home, hit a few balls and no one would even know I was here.
All of a sudden you're looking at a full day's work, playing golf, doing bits and pieces off the golf course. But once you get used to it, it's fine. Just to me it was a whole new thing getting used to that, and I think I'm used to it now, and I know what people expect from me and I understand that. It comes with the package. And it's still great being the only champion. I wouldn't have tried it for the world.

Q. Charl was in yesterday and he was talking about rivalry between two guys, can you explain the rivalry in your words, and can you tell us how far back the rivalry goes?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, the first time we ever played together, he was ten years old. I was 12. A year later, we started playing a lot more together, junior events and we became friends and I mean, we played junior golf together and then played in teams together, and we played against each other, as well. He was up at Central Gauteng and I was at the Southern Cape. We always played against each other, and just it's a good rivalry and I mean, you need that.
But between the two of us, we still go out and play practise rounds together, play for a few bucks between each other and just have a good old game. I think it's good between us, and we want the other one to do well the week, but when it comes down to being both in the -- well, when it comes down to both being able to win an event, I think you're for yourself and you try and beat the other guy and I think it's healthy for our golf. I mean, we still are good friends.

Q. When you're talking about goals, with the open six weeks away, is there an urgency to win again before you go to Royal St. George's, or will you just be happy if your game is in good shape?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, it would be great to get a win before that, but I just want to feel like I'm playing consistent going into the open. And you know, it's strange, I was not playing too great two weeks before the Open last year, and felt a bit of something happening at the Scottish Open even though I missed the cut and the week of the Open it was just completely different. Everything kicked in and played well and it can happen so easily in this game and it's just a matter of staying positive, knowing it can happen two, three days before the Open.

Q. What's been the reaction in South Africa about having two major champions?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I think especially for junior golf, I mean, I don't think it's ever happened that two juniors played under 15 together and they both win a major in a year's time. I mean, we have been in most of the teams back in South Africa, it's amateur and junior together, and you know, after my win, they always ask me, who do you think is going to be the next Major Champion. I said Charl; there's no doubt. I mean, he's such an unbelievable player, and I think that you know, I'm glad I inspired him, like you said, to get that win, because he's too good of a player not to win majors and he'll definitely win a few more.

Q. Lee Westwood described this as a fifth major for the European players. As a European Tour player from outside Europe, is that a sentiment you would share?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, definitely. Other than four Majors, this is the next big one for Europe just as The Players Championship is the next big one for Americans. This is a great event. Just look at that trophy, all of the names on it. It's one of those you work on the whole year to get.

Q. For your relaxation, what --
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, it's going back to South Africa. Whenever I have time. It's a bit of a hectic schedule. But now I have two or three weeks off going back to visit the family a bit on the farm and just try and forget everything about golf.

Q. And you just bought a prize bull, I understand?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, me and my brother just started cattle breeding. It's something completely different. Something I don't know much about, but he does, so it's good fun. It's something completely away from the game.

Q. How much did you pay for it?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: It was a few bucks. I won't give you all the secrets. But no, I mean, it was nowhere near the tractor.

Q. Does he have a name, the bull?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: No, no, don't get too personal. (Laughter).

Q. Are you hoping for Open Champion among bulls?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I would love to. You never know.

Q. But does it go in for shows?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: No. Look, we just started this whole thing, and you're getting me on the wrong -- we just started with everything, so it's all new to us. Hopefully one day that will happen, yeah.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Are we all done talking bull? Yes, I think we are.

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