FORSYTH AND LEE MAKE TOP TEN BEHIND WINNER OOSTHUIZEN

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Louis Oosthuizen began The 2012 Race to Dubai in style as he successfully defended his Africa Open title at East London Golf Club on South Africa's Eastern Cape territory today.
The South African won on home soil for the second year running with a closing 67 to hold off the challenge of compatriots Tjaart Van der Walt and Retief Goosen.
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.
Van der Walt finished second after a closing 69, with Goosen carding the same score for third – the two-time US Open Champion’s challenge coming undone when he took three from the edge of the green at the par three tenth.
“It was a real dogfight for most of the day,” said Oosthuizen. “I remember watching Tjaart when I was an amateur, and it was just great seeing him play to his potential today.
“He played really well. He’s one of those who won’t go away. He’s not going to mess it up – he’s too consistent for that.
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.”
Oosthuizen and Van der Walt were tied for the lead overnight, and it was the latter who started better, despite the pressure of playing in the final grouping alongside two Major Champions.
The 37 year old – who remains without a title in his 15-year career - birdied the first from ten feet, sunk a 15 footer at the next, and was left with a tap-in for a hat-trick of gains at the par five third.
Oosthuizen birdied the first, bogeyed the second, then rolled in a 15 foot eagle putt at the next.
Goosen, himself without a European tour title for five years, holed a 20 foot eagle putt of his own at the third, and with a birdie on the opening hole had joined Oosthuizen on 23 under par.
Oosthuizen missed a three foot putt at the fifth and bogeyed, but it proved to be his last error and the 29 year old responded with three birdies in four holes to turn in 33.
First he drove the green at the par four sixth, then pitched to five feet at the seventh and holed a 20 footer at the ninth.
That left him level with Van der Walt, who struck his approach at the eighth to three feet.
Oosthuizen and Van der Walt both looked to be in trouble at the tenth when they missed the green, but while they got up-and-down from unlikely locations, Goosen took three from the fringe and never got back into the contest from three behind.
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.
It was a splendid Africa Open for home-grown players. South Africans finished 1-2-3-4-6 and T8.
Scotland had two men in the top 10. Alastair Forsyth picked up 41,300 Euros for a fifth place finish on 22-under-par 270 with scores of 69, 66, 68 and 67 - a splendid effort that hopefully will give him the self-confidence to go from strength to strength this season.
Craig Lee finished joint eight on 274 with scores of 68, 67, 68 and 71. The Stirling man earned 23,100 Euros
Scotland had three men in the top 20 of a European Tour event, an overall performance not to be sniffed at. David Drysdale finished joint 18th on 277 with scores of 72, 69, 69 and 67. His payslip amounted to 10,864.
Steven O'Hara just couldn't get into the 60s but had four solid sub-par rounds of 70, 70, 70 and 71 for 281 and a share of 47th place for a 4,700 Euros pay-out.
Glasgow-born Alan McLean finished T54 on 282 with scores of 70, 71, 68 and 73 for a financial reward of 3,520 Euros

AFRICA OPEN
East London GC, Eastern Cape

LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 292 (4x73). Prize money in Euros
Players from South Africa unless stated otherwise
265 Louis Oosthuizen 69 62 67 67 (158,500)
267 Tjaart Van der Walt 69 64 65 69 (115,00)
268 Retief Goosen 65 68 66 69 (69,200)
269 Jaco Van Zyl 71 65 67 66 (49,100)
270 Alastair Forsyth (Scotland) 69 66 68 67 (41,300)
272 Richard Sterne 69 69 64 70 (35,400)
273 Danny Willett (England) 67 68 65 73 (29,500)
274 Craig Lee (Scotland) 68 67 68 71, Lyle Rowe 73 68 65 68 (23,100 each).
275 Matthew Baldwin (England) 72 64 70 69, Magnus A Carlsson (Sweden) 69 66 70 70, Emiliano Grillo (Argentina) 73 66 71 65, Peter Karmis 68 70 69 68 (17,475 each)

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
277 David Drysdale 72 69 68 67 (T18) (10,864)
281 Steven O'Hara 70 70 70 71 (4,700)
282 Alan McLean 70 71 68 73 (T54) 3,500).

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