Louis Oosthuizen set for Masters Debut

Courtesy of his climb into the top-50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, 26-year old South African Louis Oosthuizen has qualified to make his Masters’ debut next week. In so doing he becomes the first former member of the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation to play in the Masters.

“Well done to Louis,” commented Ernie Els. “He’s got a great talent. I remember when he turned professional in 2003 his handicap was plus-6…incredible! Also, just imagine what an inspiration this news will be for the 21 current members of the Foundation. It goes to show that anything is possible when you give good kids some opportunities and a decent start in life. It is great news all round.”

Louis has progressively improved his Order of Merit position every year since 2005 and currently lies sixth on the European Tour Race to Dubai Rankings, thanks to a strong run of play which saw him register five consecutive top-10 finishes between the Joburg Open and the Malaysian Open, including two runner-up spots in the Desert Swing.

Hannes van Niekerk, CEO of the Ernie Els & Fancourt Foundation, recalls how Louis was always slightly ahead of his peers during his time there. “When he was at the Ernie Els Foundation, as it was then known, you could tell he was special. He is one of life’s leaders; he was captain of the team and even at an early age you could see he had fantastic qualities. To be honest he was always a bit above the rest, so I’m not surprised he’s the first from our Foundation to make it to the Masters. As I said, he’s always been a leader. He’s a wonderful kid and a great role model.”