BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — The reigning Masters champion is from South Africa. So is the current holder of the British Open title.
Both are at the U.S. Open this week at Congressional Country Club, where South African Ernie Els captured the trophy in 1997.
Charl Schwartzel won at Augusta in April. Louis Oosthuizen won at St. Andrews last summer. Combined with Trevor Immelman’s Masters victory in 2008, a South African has won a major in three of the last four years.
Schwartzel and Oosthuizen both looked up to Els. They first played together when Oosthuizen was 12 and Schwartzel was 10.
Now they get to compare notes on how to deal with life as a major champion.
