SA’s Louis Oosthuizen hits his approach on the second hole during practice for The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. Picture: Tannen Maury/EPA
Centurion - Five South Africans will tee it up in The Masters at Augusta starting on Thursday, and here is how they qualified for the year’s first major.
Louis Oosthuizen as the top-ranked SA player in the field at 14th in the world, qualified in a number of categories.
His world ranking inside the top-50 automatically books his spot, as well as his top-four finishes at last year’s US Open, Open Championship and PGA Championship. Finishing inside the top 30 in last year’s FedEx Cup also would have booked an invite for Oosthuizen, had he not already been exempt.
'What would you like for Christmas?'
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 17, 2021
'Louis Oosthuizen's swing.'#TheOpen pic.twitter.com/6JMCqu4kRa
SA number three Christiaan Bezuidenhout also qualifies on his position in the world rankings of 48th, he held at the end of 2021.
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The 22-year-old left-hander Garrick Higgo will be making his first appearance at The Masters, courtesy of his victory in last year’s Palmetto Championship on the PGA Tour in June.
Erik van Rooyen, meanwhile, qualified through his position among the top 30 in last year’s FedEx Cup - which is an achievement in itself for a player trying to make a name for himself on the premier golf tour in the world.
Headed for Augusta today …. If anyone wants to track my flight 😂
— Erik van Rooyen (@FredVR_) April 2, 2022
Charl Schwartzel will be the fifth SA player in the field, using his lifetime exemption for the tournament as a winner of The Masters in 2011.