For Louis Oosthuizen, Thursday was the culmination of his four-year effort in leading the charge for a South African tournament.
His 2-under 69 was a roller-coaster – he suffered an early double-bogey, then immediately responded with three consecutive birdies – but the Southern Guards captain has emphasized the bigger picture this week of having LIV Golf visit the African continent for the first time.
“I know what it took to bring this tournament here, and the fans were unbelievable,” he said. “For a Thursday, to have this many people here, it’s all our dreams come true.”
Although they played in four different groups Thursday, the Southern Guards were able to feed off each other as well as the crowd. Collectively, they played their first 12 holes in even par before playing the next 12 in 6 under. A Grace eagle to start his final nine seemed to ignite the rest of the team, which collectively shot 10 under on their final nines while combining to make 187 feet of putts in that stretch.
“I think everybody just got on the bandwagon and one thing led to another, and look at it now,” Grace said.
Dean Burmester was equally amazed by it all.
“Probably the pinnacle of my career, honestly,” said Burmester after his 4-under 67. “Probably the greatest day I’ve had on the golf course, the most fun, the most backing I’ve ever had. I’ve played all over the world, and I’ve never felt this kind of emotion and this electricity.”
“One of the best experiences I’ve ever had on a golf course,” echoed Charl Schwartzel, who shot a 5-under 66 despite a back issue that almost forced him to withdraw. “I’ve played Presidents Cups. I’ve teed off in front of presidents in New York and that first tee gave me goosebumps. I almost had tears in my eyes. It was a really proud moment.”
“This is what we hoped for,” said Branden Grace, who shot a team-leading 7-under 64 to grab a share of third place. “… Really a phenomenal feeling, and it’s great to be able to start the week the way that I did today.”
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Article Link: Oosthuizen on LIV debut: "Our dream came true"