OAKMONT: Louis Oosthuizen shook off a disappointing first round to complete a superb five-under par 65 on Saturday and put himself squarely in the mix at the US Open.
The former British Open champion from South Africa was disappointed with his opening 75 at Oakmont, posted on Friday after thunderstorms disrupted the opening day.
He rebounded with a vengeance, nabbing eight birdies on the imposing Oakmont layout to reach even par 140 for the tournament midway through the second round.
"I didn't have a great first round," Oosthuizen said. "I felt as uncomfortable over the golf ball as I have in a while. Couldn't really find anything on the range, as well, before the second round. But out on the golf course, I found something in my setup that felt comfortable, started swinging a bit."
His building momentum was slowed by a four-putt bogey at 17, his eighth hole of the round, but he had five birdies in his last eight holes to match the best round of the tournament.
"I didn't give myself a lot of birdie putts the first round. This morning and yesterday afternoon, I definitely had a lot more chances," said Oosthuizen, who was four shots off the lead when he walked off the course and well aware that he remained within striking range.
Last year at Chambers Bay, Oosthuizen bounced back from an opening 77, with back-to-back 66s. He closed with a 67 to finished tied for second one shot behind Jordan Spieth.
"What I learned from last year was to never really give up in a US Open," Oosthuizen said. "Just grind on. If something happens, then you can get yourself right back into it."
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