 Oosthuizen moves in front at St. Andrews
2010-07-16 09:09:00
St. Andrews, Scotland (Sports Network) - South African Louis Oosthuizen carded a five-under 67 Friday to move to the top of the leaderboard in the early stages of the second round at the British Open. His two-round total of 12-under-par 132 matched the low 36-hole score for the Open Championship at St. Andrews. Nick Faldo and Greg Norman both posted 132 in 1990.
At the time he walked off the course, Oosthuizen led by three strokes over first-round leader Rory McIlroy, who is now on the course.
Mark Calcavecchia, the 1989 Open champion at Royal Troon, also carded a five- under 67 to move into third place at seven-under-par 137.
Englishmen Paul Casey and Lee Westwood are tied for fourth at minus-six. Casey overcame a triple-bogey on the Road Hole, No. 17, to post his second straight three-under 69.
Westwood had a steady round with 17 pars and a single birdie on the par-five fifth.
After four straight pars to start his round, Oosthuizen ran off three consecutive birdies from the fifth.
Around the turn, he birdied the 10th, but gave that stroke right back with a bogey on 11. Oosthuizen again traded a birdie for a bogey from the 12th.
Oosthuizen birdied the par-five 14th for the second straight day to move back to 11-under. He parred his next three holes before converting a 15-footer for birdie at the last.
"Everyone plays to play in a major and the final round on Sunday, I'm just really glad the way I dealt with my nerves around the course," Oosthuizen stated. "We started in the rain and the first nine was not that easy, but it got a bit better from 14 on."
The South African has won five times on his home tour, the Sunshine Tour, and was victorious for the first time earlier this year on the European Tour.
However, this is uncharted territory in the major championships for Oosthuizen.
Prior to this, Oosthuizen had made the cut just once in eight previous starts in the four majors. The only cut he made in a major was at the 2008 PGA Championship, where he finished last for those who made the cut.
Tom Lehman, the 1996 titlist at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, notched a four-under 68. He was joined at five-under-par 139 by U.S. Open champ Graeme McDowell (68), Ricky Barnes (71), Peter Hanson (73) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (67).
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