First Week of the 2012 Golfing Season

Feature from Nick Bonfield, read Nick's blog online via The Golf Debate and follow Nick on Twitter via @thegolfdebate

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The first tournaments of the 2012 golfing season have been completed, and both gave an indication that the standard of professional golf, on both sides of the Atlantic, is as high as it has ever been. Both the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and the Africa Open saw tremendously low scoring, a plethora of eagles, huge driving distances and rounds of 10-under par or better for the eventual champions. The difference? In South Africa, a member of the ‘new breed’ and defending champion Louis Oosthuizen took the title. In Hawaii, ‘veteran’ Steve Stricker was crowned winner. Given all the pre-season talk of the prospective domination of the ‘twenty somethings’, are we surprised that a man who turns 45 next month was victorious? Not at all, because that is the nature of golf. If members from both generations continue to thrive, 2012 will be even better than anticipated. That is really saying something.

Louis Oosthuizen Wins the Africa Open

Louis Oosthuizen made the perfect start to the Race to Dubai after triumphing in his home nation and retaining the title he won last year. Oosthuizen closed on twenty seven under par to win by two shots from fellow compatriot Tjaart Van Der Walt. Retief Goosen was a further shot back in third place on twenty four under par. In truth, the East London Golf Club did not present much of a challenge to the professionals. One of the shortest courses of the year was essentially defenceless without the presence of wind; something represented in the scoring.

The par-73, 6691 yard East London Golf Course was battered into submission from day one, not least due to four driveable par fours and four par fives under 550 yards. In the modern game, with no wind to act as a defence, that is a recipe for the lowest of scoring.

2009 champion Retief Goosen and former European tour winner Thomas Aiken set the pace in the first round, closing with rounds of 65 and 64 respectively. Oosthuizen opened with a subdued four under par round of 69 before exploding into life on Friday. He shot nine birdies and an eagle to record an eleven under par 62 for the halfway lead. By the end of play on Saturday, however, he was trailing the leader, Tjaart Van Der Walt, by one shot. Van Der Walt had posted 64 on Friday and 65 on Saturday to lead on twenty one under par heading into the final round. Goosen joined Oosthuizen in  a tie for second going into Sunday, with Englishman Danny Willett a further shot back in fourth.

Willett struggled to a final round 73, but after nine holes on Sunday, the tournament was still wide open. Goosen, however, bogeyed the par three tenth and only picked up one shot on the back side. Van Der Walt also struggled for momentum on the back nine; a lone eagle at the 11th represented his only foray under par. Oosthuizen had no such trouble, and played the back nine in four under par for a closing 67 and a two shot victory.

Oosthuizen described the round as a ‘real dogfight’, but ultimately came out on top. There was also good news for the tournament as it was revealed the East London Golf Club will host the Africa Open for the next five years; ‘a win-win situation for everyone’ according to Retief Goosen.

Steve Stricker Conquers Capalua

In Hawaii, 44-year old Steve Stricker won the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on Monday night, overcoming a front nine stutter to shoot a final round 69 and win by three shots on twenty three under par. Scotsman Martin Laird finished second on twenty under par after playing his last seven holes in five under, with Webb Simpson and Jonathan Byrd a further shot back on nineteen under par.

The opening event of the PGA Tour was not exempt from controversy. 11 qualified players, for one reason or another, did not register to play, and the pace of play debate resurfaced after the final two-ball (Stricker and Byrd) took over four hours to complete their round. Nothing, however, should detract from a fine victory for Stricker, who has played his last sixteen rounds at Kapalua in 76-under par.

Defending champion Jonathan Byrd made the brightest start to the tournament to lead after the first round. He shot six under par 67 which included a stretch of six birdies in a row, but was caught and overhauled by a rampant Stricker on day two. The man from Wisconsin recorded eight birdies and an eagle for a 63 and a five shot lead from Webb Simpson at the halfway stage.

He extended his lead to six shots after a third round 69, with Laird, Byrd and Simpson needing a miracle to get their respective seasons off to the perfect start. At one stage, this looked possible. Simpson eagled the par five fifth and Laird had three birdies in a row from the second. When Stricker missed a five footer for birdie at five and a six footer for par at six, the deficit was just two shots. Stricker restored calm, however, after birdies at eight and nine, and never looked like being overhauled on the back nine: hardly surprising, given that he played the final five holes in fifteen under par throughout the week.

After his round, Stricker said: “You've just got to keep hanging in there... I've been through this enough, and I've had some wins recently where I have the confidence knowing that I can come back and I can make a shot when I have to.”

Congratulations to Stricker and Oosthuizen as we move on to week number two. On the European Tour, Charl Schwartzel will defend his Joburg Open title, and the PGA Tour stays in Hawaii for The Sony Open.