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PGA Championship: Dark Horse Candidates at Bethpage Black

By Christopher O'Day

BETHPAGE, NEW YORK - MAY 13: Signage is displayed during a practice round prior to the 2019 PGA Championship at the Bethpage Black course on May 13, 2019 in Bethpage, New York. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
BETHPAGE, NEW YORK - MAY 13: Signage is displayed during a practice round prior to the 2019 PGA Championship at the Bethpage Black course on May 13, 2019 in Bethpage, New York. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /
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Louis Oosthuizen
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – DECEMBER 17: Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa plays a tee shot during round one of the South African Open Golf Championship at the Durban Country Club on December 17, 2010 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) /

Lodewicus Theodorus “Louis” Oosthuizen – 66/1

I love Louis Oosthuizen’s full name, and I just had to share it with you in case you hadn’t had an opportunity to see it. Not only that, he has resigned himself to the nickname of Shrek. He is just incredibly likable to me. OH! He’s a pretty good golfer as well.

When Louis plays well in Majors, he plays really well. It’s been quite a while since he made a splash back in 2010, winning The Open Championship. Since then, he has finished either 2nd or T-2nd four times. Those are his only top ten finishes.

What interested me about Oosthuizen, was how well he played at Bethpage Black during the Barclay’s back in 2012. He finished T5, at -5. The course is going to be tougher during a major, but seeing that he had some success there instantly brought him to my dark horse attention.

If Shrek can make a strong run, it is going to based on the strength of his short game. Currently, he ranks 3rd in SG around the green, at .626. While he isn’t bad off the tee at 64th, it is his putting and approach shots that are going to be the difference between making the cut, and raising a trophy.

He is 164th in approach shots, and 124th in putting. Neither one of those are good enough. He has shown on five occasions during majors that he has the game to win or finish 2nd. If he puts it together at the PGA Championship this week, he has a real shot at winning his second major.

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