Louis Oosthuizen was delighted with his day’s work after a storming finish saw the South African sign for a four under par 68 on day one of The Masters Tournament.
The former Open Champion, whose friend and compatriot Charl Schwartzel claimed the coveted Green Jacket 12 months ago at Augusta National, was level par for the day through 13 holes after two bogeys over the notorious Amen Corner.
But birdies at the 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th saw Oosthuizen claim the clubhouse lead as he moved level with England’s Lee Westwood.
“It feels good,” he said, when asked how it felt to hole a tricky putt on the last for a share of the lead. “I tried to just get perfect pace on it.
“I played solid after the fifth hole – I made a huge putt on the fifth for par and it got my round going.
Oosthuizen led after 54 holes in Houston last week, only to see Hunter Mahan surpass him in the final round.
“I came in this week with a lot more confidence,” he added. “I feel that I’m swinging it well and playing well. There’s a long way to go but it’s a good start.”
Asked whether he had taken any advice from Schwartzel on how to handle Augusta National he continued: “I just tried to watch what Charl did. It needs a lot of patience out there.”
