FJ Ambassador Louis Oosthuizen (FJ ICON & SciFlex) began The 2012 Race to Dubai in style as he successfully defended his Africa Open title at East London Golf Club.
The South African won on home soil for the second year running with a closing 67 to hold off the challenge of compatriot and fellow FJ loyalist Tjaart Van der Walt. The former Open Champion held firm on the back nine as his playing partners struggled for birdies, Oosthuizen running out a two shot winner on 27 under par.
Oosthuizen was by far the most aggressive player in the final group, and asked about his decision to try and drive the greens on the shorter par fours said: “On six, I go for that green every time, so to me it was a good driver today with the wind into me.”
A huge drive at the 11th set up Oosthuizen for a two-putt birdie on the 11th, and a 30 foot birdie at the penultimate hole all but sealed a victory that was confirmed when he got up-and-down from the back of the 18th green for par.
Oosthuizen scooped the prizes of €158,500 which provisionally places him top of the Race to Dubai standings.
The big hitting lefty from Bagdad, Florida, Bubba Watson is now a Masters Champion. Bubba wearing a new FJ ICON pattern and SPIDR2 glove, shot under par in each of the first three rounds of the tournament to sit at six under par after the first three days of competition. For the final round Bubba was paired with fellow FJ Staffer Louis Oosthuizen. Louis was one stroke in front of Bubba as they stepped onto the first tee of the final day.
Oosthuizen (DryJoys Tour and SciFlex) struck first, on the downhill par five second hole Louis blistered a four iron from over 250 yards at the open-center of the green. The shot landed just short and took a hard break right towards the hole on the back of the green, the ball continued to roll and roll until hitting the flag and dropping into the cup for a double eagle. This was only the forth double eagle in Masters history and first double eagle on the 2nd hole. The albatross moved Louis to the top of the leaderboard - four strokes in front of Bubba Watson.
Bubba fought back with a birdie on the 5th hole to draw a shot closer to the leader Oosthuizen.
Watson kept the pressure on Oosthuizen converting a two putt birdie on the par five 13th hole. He then added birdies on 14, 15, and 16 to draw even with the former British Open Champion. Both players parred the final two holes, setting up a sudden death playoff.
Teeing off the eighteenth hole for the fifth time this week, both players hit drives straight up the narrow fairway. They then exchanged brilliant approach shots, setting up potential birdies. They both narrowly missed their birdie putts, halved pars, and headed to the steeply downhill tenth hole.
Bubba's tee shot missed the fairway well right of his intended target, landing behind the galleries lining the fairway. With Bubba seemingly in some trouble, Oosthuizen laid back with a fairway metal only to miss the green short on his approach. Now Bubba sized up his shot from the pine straw right of the fairway, it called for a 30+ yard hook from a dodgy lie with a short iron to hit the green. The lefty pulled the shot off perfectly giving him a birdie look for the win. With Oostuizen failing to get up and down, Bubba would need two putts for the win. Watson calmly lagged the putt to the hole and tapped in to claim the green jacket.
FJ WINS, YOU WIN : Click here for your chance to win FJ ICON and SPIDR2 just like Bubba Watson wore en route to the Masters victory.
This Sweepstakes will begin at 12:01AM ET on 04/9/2012 and end 04/12/2012 at 11:59PM ET.
D.A. Points came back from a nearly three hour rain delay to win the Shell Houston Open by one stroke over Henrik Stenson and Billy Horschel.
Beginning the day one back, Points made six birdies in the first 14 holes, racing to a one stroke lead before play ceased. With a two year PGA Tour exemption and a Masters invitation on the line, D.A. made clutch pars on the final four holes including up and downs on the final two to post the clubhouse lead at 16 under. No one could catch the total, which gave D.A. his second PGA tour victory.
Points trusted his XPS-1 golf shoes and FJ Sciflex glove en route to his win, "The XPS-1 gives me the comfort and stability I need to play my best golf." Continuing, "The SciFlex fits my hand and is breathable for the hot conditions we always play in."
Seven different FJ styles graced the top 25 of the Shell Houston Open. D.A. opted for max stability of the XPS-1, second place finisher Billy Horschel went for fashion forward performance in FJ Icon MyJoys. Other players in the top 25, Ben Crane in Contour, Oothuizen in DryJoys Tour, Bill Haas in FJ Sport, Westwood in FJ Icon, and Wheatcroft in the M:Project. FJ truly has a shoe for every golfer and every swing.
Shell Houston Open Shoe Count
FJ - 64%
Nearest competitor - 18%
FJ WINS, YOU WIN : Click here for your shot to win XPS-1 and SciFlex just like D.A. Points used en route to victory.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open to US residents 18 years or older. Sweepstakes will begin at 12:01AM ET on 04/1/2013 and end 04/04/2013 at 11:59PM ET.