Louis Oosthuizen’s win in the British Open will surprise many, given that he was quoted at 200-1 at the start of the weekend. I took quite a decent bet on him on Friday at 4-1, as he ran out a 7 shot victor of the British Open. I really don’t think he was as much of a surprise as people think he is – and certainly not to two of my friends who were dragged off to the Country Club Johannesburg, to the Woodmead course in February to march around following him for the last 9 holes of the Telkom PGA. He did not win on that occasion, but 2 or 3 years ago he absolutely walked away from the field winning by 12 or 13 shots.

The quality of golf is very good in South Africa and anybody who can win a local tournament, at Country Club Johannesburg, by 13 shots, is quite frankly good enough to win anywhere in the world. It was also obvious that he enjoys front running, and if you had asked me to lay a bet then, my bet would have been not only was he going to win, but that he would win by further, which is what he did, because it is not the first time that he has done that. In any event, if there is one more instance of being made extremely proud by our South African golfers, who really continue to cover themselves in glory. He no doubt will enjoy the approximately R10 million he won, and his caddy, picking up approximately 10% is going to have a R1 million pay day!