history, wife at home

British Open’s runners-up consolations: history, wife at home

Both players were vanquished by winner Zach Johnson on Monday in a four-hole aggregate playoff at St. Andrews.

“Obviously, I’m pretty disappointed at the minute, having a chance to win it and not being able to take it, but that’s golf, unfortunately,’’ Leishman said. “There were three of us in the playoff and there could only be one winner.
“Yeah, I’m disappointed, but I’m happy with the way I played all week, played great Thursday, Friday in the wind and then played good the last two days in the better conditions. I’m happy. I’ve just finished second in the Open.’’

The tournament was Leishman’s to win, but the 31-year-old Aussie with one career PGA Tour win (the 2012 Travelers) suffered a damaging bogey on the 16th hole in regulation, when he missed a 5-foot par putt and relinquished the outright lead.
In the playoff, he bogeyed the first and second holes to fall too far behind.
Oosthuizen, who won the 2010 Open the last time it was played at St. Andrews, fought to get into the playoffs, making a huge par on 17 in regulation and then draining a clutch 6-foot birdie putt on 18.

In the playoff, he birdied No. 1, but lipped out an 8-foot par try on No. 17 and lipped out a 10-foot birdie try on 18 that could have extended the playoff.
“I made great putts coming in to be in the playoff, and misread 17 and 18 [in the playoff],’’ Oosthuizen said. “I had two good putts there exactly where I wanted to, so there’s not much more that I could have done on that.’’

“It’s never nice to lose a playoff. I’ve had the experience in 2012 at Augusta [when he lost to Bubba Watson.] I’ll take a lot out of this week. I was really motivated to win this championship this week. I love this place. I’ve said it a thousand times. I can’t wait for it to come back here again [in 2021].’’

Oosthuizen has now finished runner-up in the last two majors, having finished second to Jordan Spieth at the U.S. Open last month at Chambers Bay.

“I did really well at Chambers Bay coming from a 77 first round, and this week, [Monday], I felt I was sort of on the back foot the whole time,’’ he said. “It was tough to find birdies out there.’’

Leishman played this championship with a particular perspective having nearly lost his wife to a rare illness earlier this year.


“Yeah, I could have won it, but look, my perspective is quite good at the moment,’’ he said. “I can go home tomorrow and hug Audrey and the boys and celebrate a little bit, I guess. It would have been nice to have a Claret Jug to drink out of to celebrate, but I’ll find something else.’’