You are viewing: July 2010
Oopen and Shut Case for Oosthuizen
19/07/2010
Louis Oosthuizen made only two bogeys over the final 35 holes and finished at 16-under to win his first major championship Sunday on the Old Course at St. Andrews. The 27-year-old Oosthuizen, who trusted FJ ICON golf shoes, and a SciFlex glove, closed with a final round 1-under 71 to win The Open Championship by a remarkable seven shots over fellow FJ player, Lee Westwood (who wore FJ golf shoes & Pure Touch Limited glove).
It was revealed during the final round that Oosthuizen marks his SciFlex glove with a red dot so when he looks down before each shot, he is reminded to focus on the shot at hand and dispel all distractions, something that served him well en route to the biggest victory of his career.
Oosthuizen went 24 consecutive holes without a bogey until his streak ended on the par-3 eighth hole by missing a 6-foot par putt. That trimmed his lead to three, the closest anyone would get during the final round. His playing partner hit driver onto the par-4 ninth green and Oosthuizen answered by doing the same. When he holed his 50-foot eagle putt, his lead was back to four shots, same as when he started.
Oosthuizen spent the final hour with a big grin on his face, although he started out that way, too. He put his arm around caddie Zack Rasego after hitting off the 18th tee and walking over the Swilcan Bridge, thousands of fans packed into the grandstands, along the road and peering out the shop windows.
The biggest smile came on the 18th green, with a hug for Rasego, and an embrace with wife Nel-Mare and 7-month-old daughter Jana. It will be years before the child can appreciate the magnitude of this moment.
"I will say, 'That's the day Daddy makes us the proudest,'" his wife said. "And we'll never forget it."
In 2010, When FJ Wins, You Win. Enter here for your chance to win FJ ICON golf shoes and a SciFlex glove, just like Louis Ossthuizen wore en route to victory Sunday.
Stricker Edges Goydos, Strong FJ Field, to Defend John Deere Title
12/07/2010
FootJoy ambassador Steve Stricker closed with a final round 1-under 70 to narrowly defend his title at the John Deere Classic. Stricker, who wore custom DryJoys through the MyJoys program and a Pure Touch Limited glove, saw his six shot overnight lead wilt to just two but was able to hold on and defeat fellow FJ player Paul Goydos (FJ ICON style #52062, SciFlex). Inclusive of Stricker and Goydos, 13 of the top 14 players on the leaderboard trusted FJ.
Playing without the same razor sharp precision that had allowed him to record the lowest 54--hole total in PGA Tour history, Stricker played safe most of the day. However, he came through with a clutch birdie after driving into the trees on No. 17 and finished with a 26-under 258 total - a new record for the tournament.
“You don’t want to give shots away and then you end up playing a little safer than you normally do and it leads to tougher birdie putts,” Stricker said. “Then they creep in closer because they were playing some good golf.”
Goydos, who dazzled the golf world with his 59 in the opening round, shot a solid 66 but still fell short of dethroning Stricker, who won for the ninth time in his career. Both players boarded a plane Sunday night for Scotland and will compete in the Open Championship at St. Andrews this week.
“Strick was hard to catch,” Goydos said. “I tried and kept pushing and chipping and grinding and biting at him and doing what I could. But in the end, the putt he made on 17 was a world-class putt. That’s what top five players do, that’s what Ryder Cup players do.”
