Andries Oosthuizen

Oosthuizen won the 1973 South African Amateur beating Coen Dreyer 3 & 2 in the final.{{cite web |url=https://www.golfrsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/SA-Amateur-screen.pdf |title=Sanlan South African Amateur Championship 2018 |access-date=16 May 2019}} Later in the year he finished runner-up to George Harvey at the South African Tour's Qualifying School and he turned professional in November 1973.{{Cite web|url=https://sunshinetour.com/jared-ready-for-bloemfontein-battle/ |publisher=Sunshine Tour |title=Jared ready for Bloemfontein battle |access-date=2019-05-14 |df=dmy-all}}

Oosthuizen played full-time on the European Tour from 1974 to 1977. In one of his early professional tournaments, the 1974 Penfold Tournament he made an albatross and was joint leader after the first round, although he eventually finished well down the field.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0o5AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3aQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1847%2C2115878 |title=Oosthuizen's albatross 2 makes it a four-way tie |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=9 May 1974 |page=5}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1Y5AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3aQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2828%2C2978044 |title=Mediocre 72 ends Barnes's challenge |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=13 May 1974 |page=5}}

In the northern hemisphere winter, Oosthuizen would play on his home South African Tour. He performed excellently at the General Motors Open that November and was tied with Gary Player after the first three rounds. The final round was a "tense duel" between the overnight leaders and Oosthuizen actually outplayed Player, the defending Masters and Open champion, by one shot through 16 holes. However, Player would come through down the stretch with a birdie-birdie finish to win by one.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uGM_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=80wMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4499%2C5410942 |title=Player's 100th win |date=25 November 1974 |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=5}} The following month Oosthuizen would record a second runner-up finish in South Africa, this time to compatriot Vin Baker at the ICL International. It was another difficult defeat as Baker recorded a birdie 3 on the first playoff hole to defeat Oosthuizen.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4I9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7KQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3097%2C3181434|title=Bembridge in lead|date=16 December 1974|newspaper=The Glasgow Herald|page=8}}

The following season was his best season on the European Tour. He was beaten by Bob Shearer in the final of the 1975 Piccadilly Medal, losing the match at the 19th hole.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b4tAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=76QMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3002%2C2474378 |title=British golf prestige takes another knock |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=12 May 1975 |page=19}} This would be his best finish ever on the European Tour. Oosthuizen may be best known for his performance in the 1975 Open Championship. He opened with rounds of 69, 69 and 70 and was tied for fifth place after three rounds, starting the final day only four strokes behind fellow South African and leader Bobby Cole.{{Cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FOg9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=nEgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3019%2C2739055 |title=Record Tumbles Again in Open Birdie Battle |last=Jacobs |first=Raymond |date=12 July 1975 |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=16}} However in the difficult conditions he would score 78 (+6) in the final round and finish tied for 12th place.{{Cite web |url=http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=1975/tournamentid=1975010/leaderboard/index.html#/results |title=104th Open Championship – 1975 – Leaderboard |publisher=European Tour |access-date=2019-05-14 |df=dmy-all}} He finished 1975 a career best 14th on the European Tour's Order of Merit.{{Cite web |url=http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/players/playerid=145/record/index.html |title=Andries Oosthuizen |publisher=European Tour |access-date=2019-05-14 |df=dmy-all}}

In the late 1970s Oosthuizen would come close to winning two events near his homeland of South Africa. In November 1976, Oosthuizen finished runner-up at the Victoria Falls Classic, an event in Rhodesia. He lost a playoff to England's Nick Job.{{Cite news|title=Meikles Classic (at Victoria Falls)|date=15 November 1976|newspaper=The Guardian|page=17}} In 1979, Oosthuizen again had another playoff loss in the region. This time it was to John Bland on the 5th extra hole at the Holiday Inns Open, an event in Swaziland.{{Cite news|date=12 February 1979|title=Golf|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5Z9WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=U-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1802,3677658|access-date=2020-06-20}}

1977 was his second best season on the European Tour and he finished 27th in the Order of Merit. In the Penfold PGA Championship, he was joint leader after 36 holes with Peter Oosterhuis but a third round 81 dropped him well down the field.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q5ZAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4370%2C6305340 |title=Oosty keeps the lead |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |last=Jacobs |first=Raymond |date=28 May 1977 |page=16}} Later in the year he also started well in the Carroll's Irish Open and was only one stroke behind the leader after 36 holes, but again faded and finished outside the top-10.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aZBAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8KQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1987%2C866513 |title=Kinsella halts takeover bid |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=27 August 1977 |page=15}}

After the 1977 season, Oosthuizen would not play on the European Tour full-time again, although he played part-time between 1978 and 1985.

• 1973 South African Amateur

Southern Africa Tour playoff record (0–2)

Note: Oosthuizen only played in The Open Championship.

CUT = missed the half-way cut

"T" indicates a tie for a place

• Datsun International (representing South Africa): 1976 (winners){{Cite web |title=The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=apJAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BaUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6513,386832 |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=news.google.com}}

{{reflist}}

• {{EuroTour player|145}}

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Category:South African male golfers

Category:European Tour golfers

Category:1950s births

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century South African sportsmen