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Articles from the Independent

Raf Leuchars to Orlando, Florida is a familiar routing for Tiger Woods's private jet but last night the in-flight service lacked a certain elegance. Usually – well, at least in 2000 and 2005 – Woods and guests could wile away the hours by sipping the beverage of their choice from the Claret Jug. Not this time. The most valuable cargo in golf was not on the manifest.

It was no disservice to Louis Oosthuizen here last night when you looked at him in a certain, slightly disbelieving way, and then thought of some of the more flamboyant Open champions.

It would not be overstating matters to suggest that the Americans made their most striking impact on the Old Course this week in the final sartorial enormity perpetrated by John Daly. His trousers yesterday comprised stars down one ham, and stripes down the other, so introducing a degree of literalism to the fact that American national pride had taken a back seat at the home of golf.

With the first line of his victory speech Louis Oosthuizen wished a happy 93rd birthday to his former president Nelson Mandela last night and then went on to describe his amazement at winning the Open by the second biggest margin in 97 years.

Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, John Daly, Tiger Woods... maybe the name Louis Oosthuizen does jar a little on this list. It shouldn't. For the manner in which the South African won the 139th Open here yesterday would have made any of his fellow St Andrews champions proud. He did not merely defeat his rivals, so much as crush them deep into the sand beneath ground.

South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen today cruised to a commanding victory in the
139th Open Championship at St Andrews to claim his first major title.

The 139th Open came alive at 9.45pm on Friday when Tiger Woods almost holed his drive at the final hole and Tom Watson made his last trip over the Swilcan Bridge. Dusk had fallen and the hooter went to suspend play for the night but players could finish the hole they were on, and suddenly the air was crackling. At one of the few venues where the five-time Open champion failed to triumph, Watson stooped to kiss the old stone bridge and stood for the obligatory farewell wave. Then he very nearly holed his chip for an eagle.