Quick 18: King Louie, the 'Rainbow Team,' and par-3 pints
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
1. After listening to just about every broadcaster, reporter and casual golf fan butcher Louis Oosthuizen's last name time and time again -- even after he gave tutorials -- can we just agree to call him Louie? Headline writers would love it.
2. Nice touch from King Louis Sunday night. He sent champagne to the press room. Yes, it was reminiscent of another surprise winner here -- "Champagne Tony" Lema who won at St. Andrews in 1964. And Louis? He headed to the Jigger Inn and got to bed -- Claret Jug by his side -- at 3:00 a.m. local time.
And when he woke up? "I looked at it, you know, and I immediately grabbed the phone and texted Chubby Chandler, my agent, saying, 'I've got this funny old jug next to my bed.' Man, oh, man. So you know that was special waking up next to it. It was good.''
3. On the standing-room only train from Leuchars Railway Station to London: Twentysomething South African financial manager Graeme East came up with his mates in hopes of an Ernie Els or Retief Goosen win. Instead, they got Louis and couldn't have been prouder of the champ, who signed a pin flag for them Saturday night, and of the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation, which helped Louis along during the early part of his career. True believers. This, as East said, is what the game is all about. Not a bad conversation over a pint at The Jigger Inn with the boys Sunday night. Cost of trip? Q-18 didn't ask. Memories? Priceless.
4. Don't shake your head at top U.S. finishers Sean O'Hair and Nick Watney, who tied for seventh. Both have serious game. O'Hair, who tied for 12th at last month's U.S. Open, came in ranked 24th in the Official Golf World Ranking, while Watney, who finished seventh at the Masters, was 34th.
5. How long did we hype this all-important Augusta-Pebble Beach- St. Andrews run for Tiger? He's won half of his 14 majors on these three courses. And he goes 0-fer. His answer? "The good news is I've won half of them not on these venues, too.''
6. How many years until we see this rota again? First possibility is 2019, but don't count on the R&A and USGA cooperating.
7. European Ryder Cup candidates at the British Open: Lee Westwood (2nd); Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy, and Henrik Stenson (T3); and Martin Kaymer (T7). Right now all but Stenson are in the top 9 of the European Ryder Cup standings. "We're already going to have an unbelievable team,'' Casey said. "We're going to have a great team. It doesn't guarantee a victory, but I think we'll be pretty good.''
8. Count the British Open 'Rainbow Team' -- as Louis' caddie Zack Resego calls he and his man -- as the latest example of how South Africa's apartheid history is taking a backseat to current politics. The first was the incident-free World Cup. Now, Louie wins on Nelson Mandela's birthday. Yes, Resego is black and Louis is white, but they don't see colors, just people.
"As South Africans, we are a rainbow team, but really it's politics aside. It's a sport. We cannot put politics into sport," Rasego told the New York Times. "When I look at Louis, I look at him as a person, and he looks at me as a person. It's not our backgrounds or anything. At the end of the day, he's my boss, and I respect him as a boss, and it's not about color. I mean, if I do good, then he appreciates what I do. It's totally not about color."
9. One of the best moments of every British Open at St. Andrews is after everything is said and done, the townspeople take a stroll across the course. They walk their dogs and throw frisbees while spectators pose for pictures on the Swilcan Bridge and in the Valley of Sin. It is, after all, a course that belongs to the town.
10. A poll in The Courier (UK) notes the British Open will generate £35 million from visitors to Scotland. The story also noted there would be £45 million in "place marketing effect" -- a 35% increase over last year's championship at Turnberry. Considering Tom Watson was in contention last year? Really?
11. Just 10 miles from St. Andrews, you can play golf as it was back in the day of cleeks and mashies and tweeds and plus-fours. Kingarrock is a 2,022-yard course played with just five hickory-shafted clubs. The longest hole is 368 yards, the shortest is 97, the par is 37 and sheep mow the greens. It'll set you back £20, but the fee includes a dram of whisky at the start and ginger beer and shortbread at the end. Who played a round there pre-British Open? Geoff Ogilvy.
"Don't get me wrong, I really like my modern equipment but there is something fun about playing golf like this,'' Ogilvy said. "And it can really help your swing speed and your imagination when you go back to regular, modern golf. It's like being a kid. You're learning all over again." The most shocking thing to him? The lack of sound at impact. "You almost don't realize you've hit it," Ogilvy said.
12. Herb Kohler may be the most influential business man in St. Andrews. The 70-year-old owns the Old Course Hotel, built the Dukes Course and is redeveloping Hamilton Hall, the large structure which overlooks the 18th green just across the street from the R&A. But the billionaire's application for membership in the Royal and Ancient was rejected. He's too old. Rules permit only those under 60 years of age.
"I accepted the decision with a smile on my face,'' Kohler said. "I didn't appeal -- a rule is a rule no matter who you are. I don't mind breaking rules but I was quite appreciative they stuck to their guns."
Q-18 still has time to apply, but unfortunately will be turned down. There are no female members. The club normally invites the principal of St. Andrews University to join, but they've not offered anything to the current principal -- and first female -- Dr. Louise Richardson.
13. Attention pub crawlers: there was a Pub Golf Invitational within walking distance of St. Andrews last week. It was nine holes, but think pubs and pints, instead of tees and greens. Par was 30 -- a pint of lager at the first hole, The Whey Pat on Bridge Street, was a par-3, for example. Hazards included discussions with women (one-shot penalty at some places), left-handed shots only (a right-handed shot incurred a one-shot penalty) and use of the loo (another one-point deduction). Different drink -- a pint of Guinness, a single malt with no mixer, etc. -- at every bar. No word on a winner or any survivors.
14. When former British Army major and Treasury lawyer Peter Smith died at the age of 90 last summer, no one knew he left almost his entire fortune -- £441,536 -- to Rye Golf Club. He had no family and lived alone with this dog. The club has yet to decide what to do with the money.
15. Bob Heintz has run the numbers. He's thought about calling it a day and doing something else. After all, he has an economics degree from Yale. Not just Ivy League, but the Big Three. Heintz, who turned pro in 1992, has won just $1.9 million in his 18-year career, but can't walk away. He loves the game. And the return? The possibility of winning and taking home a $500,000-plus winners check -- currently much better than any Wall Street investment.
"You do your job well, your income potential is limitless. That's what I love about this job," he said. "To go somewhere else and work for a salary -- in some ways I'd welcome it because you know what you're getting every couple weeks and you can budget. But in this, I mean, what if I play great? Half a million sounds pretty good."
On Sunday, $324,000 didn't sound too bad either. That's what Heinz made for finishing second at the Reno-Tahoe Open. Sweet return.
16. From the small world files: Q-18 gets to Leuchars train station, runs into an old friend from home and her family. Haven't seen each other in about 15 years, even though we both live in Houston. Been meaning to have lunch. Chat in Scotland instead.
Then Q-18's seatmate on the train is Ben, who will be a sophomore at St. Andrews in the fall. He manned the balcony at Forgan House during the British Open to make sure people stayed seated and quiet. "Basically, I was paid to watch golf,'' he said. He's staying in St. Salvatore's Hall, room B24 in the fall. That's the room right next to Q-18's home-away-from-home last week.
17. Two quick things: Want a peek into the future of the PGA TOUR? Check out this week's USGA Junior Amateur at Egypt Valley where Texas-whiz Jordan Speith will defend. Speith finished T16 at the HP Byron Nelson Championship this spring, but is remaining an amateur for now.
And former NFL quarterback (why is it always a QB?) Billy Joe Tolliver won the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe, setting a record with 84 points in the modified Stableford system. Dallas playcaller Tony Romo, Hall of Famer John Elway, former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz and actor Jack Wagner finished second, 19 points back.
18. The first time Gary Player played at St. Andrews, he was so poor he slept on the beach. This time around? The Hall of Famer has a few more pennies in his pocket and he stayed in a house with 14 bedrooms.
Shop your favorite brand name golf equipment and accessories at SHOP.PGATOUR.COM
FANTASY
PGATOUR.com is part of Turner Sports Digital, part of the Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network 