	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NEDBANK GOLF CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY GARY PLAYER

November 14, 2019

Louis Oosthuizen

Sun City, South Africa

Q. You've played a lot of fabulous rounds of golf here at Sun City but that has to be the best one, 9-under par 63?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Considering that at 3.00am this morning, I didn't think I was doing going to tee it up, I'm very chuffed with that round.

I woke yesterday with kidney stones and this morning was very uncomfortable, but it sort of eased in like 6.00, 7.00 this morning, it started getting a lot better. Yeah, you could see me walking slower and just going everything a little slower out there.

But I know I played good at HSBC two weeks ago and I know the swing is there, the putting's there. I just need to be healthy to play.

Q. How much discomfort were you in? If you weren't in South Africa, would you have had played today?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: No, it wasn't that bad. Like I say it got better a lot faster than I thought. All of yesterday was very uncomfortable. Spent a bit of time in the hospital in Rustenburg, and this morning was just a little niggly but I went up to the range, hit a few shots and didn't really bother me. It was more the walking fast that got it. So I just slowed everything down and worked nicely.

Q. Top 15 here the last six occasions you've played this tournament. What is it about this place that brings out the best out of you?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I just love this golf course. One of my first wins on the Sunshine Tour was here, the Dimension Data and every time I play here, it brings back a lot of good memories.

Q. Gary Player was saying earlier on that you have the best golf swing in golf according to him, and that's coming from a legend of golf. What does it mean when you have a player of that stature says you have the best swing of anybody on the planet?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: That means a lot, but there's a lot of things that can go wrong in my swing. I just try and work on the rhythm, and if I have that sorted, then most of the other stuff will fall in place.

Q. It's been a roller coaster of a ride the last couple days. Take us through what you've been going through?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, yesterday a bit of time in the hospital and crawling around my hotel room with kidney stones. 3.00 this morning, on my knees next to the toilet, which is not a great spot.

Yeah, I didn't think I was going to tee off early this morning. I thought it was going to be a horrible week for me. You know, somehow it got better a lot faster than what I expected.

Yeah, I just slowed everything down. I walked slow. My whole tempo, I just tried to do everything as slow as possible. Luckily we're threesomes and fields is running that fast, so you can take a little bit of time.

I hit it nicely. I swung it really good. There was no big hits, I always went for the smoother club. The wind around here is maybe tricky and sometimes that smoother swing actually gets a bit of ball flight on it. Today was just one of those rounds where I think everything just fell into place.

Q. Take us through the highlights, not a bogey. You must be really pleased?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, around here, if you can keep bogeys off your scorecard, you've done a great job.

Greens are very good. Even after all the rain they had, it's just a good golf course, and if you drive it well -- same old thing. If you drive it well and you're making a few putts, then you're going to score good around this golf course.

Q. You're really comfortable around here, as well. I guess that helps, especially if you aren't in the best physical shape?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, I've sort of learned which holes you can go for it and which holes not. There's a lot of holes where I have a lot of respect for in the past that cost me. It's not a golf course where you just tee up your driver and have a rip. So it's definitely one you have to think around.

Q. Game plan obviously key, knowing what you can and can't do?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, very similar thing tomorrow game plan-wise, and just try and give myself as many birdie opportunities as I can. I'm rolling it nicely, and try and make a few more birdies.

Q. An opening 63, could you have imagined a day like today?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: No, not really. It was a good round of golf. I played pretty solid and just happy I didn't make any bogeys, which is always great around this golf course. Just happy with the result.

Q. Obviously you mentioned having to slow everything down because of the kidney stones. Do you think that helped with your whole round game in terms of patience and ball flight?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, I think it helped in the sense of not really getting down on if you hit one or two bad shots. Just really go to the next one and try your best. Was very, very relaxed out there. I hope I can do the same the next three rounds.

Q. Obviously a great front nine, but three birdies from 10, 11, 12. How important was that stretch and were you aware of your position?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, look, it's still early on. The first three rounds, you just want to play yourself into the tournament and especially first round, you don't want to play yourself out of the tournament.

So I don't really look at the scoreboard. I just played and kept on plodding along, trying and giving myself birdies and just one of those days where I made quite a few.

Q. Ninth, eighth and third, your last three results in this tournament. What is it about Nedbank that brings the best out of you?
LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I love this golf course. One of my first wins on the Sunshine Tour was here in the Dimension Data, and one of those places where I feel like I can play really good.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297