The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 16 April 2012 /

Louis Oosthuizen overcame all sorts of obstacles to win the Maybank Malaysian Open and Carl Pettersson sauntered to victory in South Carolina but how did Steve fare with his wagers this week...

Following the crushing disappointment of his playoff loss to Bubba Watson at last week's US Masters, Louis Oosthuizen flew halfway across the globe to an entirely different time-zone, where he experienced numerous weather delays and a bad case of jetlag. With his wife and young family with him, he didn't manage to get more than four hours sleep in-a-row right up until Saturday, but none of it mattered. He overcame all those obstacles somehow and followed up his third at the Shell Houston Open and his second at Augusta with a win here by a very comfortable three strokes. It was performance of the year so far in my book. And over in South Carolina, Carl Pettersson won the RBC Heritage just as comfortably.

My Bets

It's been a losing week and a frustrating one to boot!

I have absolutely no regrets about not backing Oosty; in fact, I'm pleased I didn't lay him! Had I known on Saturday night that they were going to get all 72 holes played, I would have done so at odds-on. He looked shattered and I fancied he had to run out steam. It was the threat of yet more weather delays and a possible reduction to 54-holes that stopped me. He must have finally had a decent night's sleep on Saturday though because he looked an awful lot fresher yesterday, but even so, to win was a remarkable effort and he deserves much credit.

No qualms about events in Malaysia then but I'm pretty cross with myself for not backing Pettersson. He was a selection for the event last year at [160.0] and also the year before at [130.0] and I dismissed him far too readily before the off this time around. Yes, he was quite a bit shorter this time around at (75.0] but given he had performed so well at the Shell Houston Open just two weeks earlier, where he finished second, the price was more than fair. A multiple winner, in-form and with a solid bank of course form, what was there not to like?

And I looked hard at him during day one too, but because I'd backed quite a few before the off and given I'd started the event well, with four selections firmly in-contention, I decided to leave him alone. The fact that his closest challenger yesterday was Zach Johnson, backed at [50.0] before the off, just made it even more frustrating. Zach had started round four well too. He was matched at just [3.3] after birdying three of the first five holes but his challenge was firmly derailed at the par 3 7th hole, when he needed to hole a ten-footer just to save bogey! In the end Pettersson won by a very cosy five strokes and it was thoroughly deserved.

Having endured a frustrating US Masters last week and having backed guess who in the Grand National (how on earth did he get beat?), it's fair to say I'm not quite getting the rub of the green at present, but it'll change. I've done all my sulking now and it's now a case of onwards and upwards.

What have we learnt for next year?

I know that they don't exactly travel economy class and I appreciate that they cope with an eight hour time-zone change like I cope with the spring and autumn one hour adjustment but I'm still amazed by how well those that played at the US Masters fared this week, and Oosthuizen's effort wasn't a one-off! Rory McIlroy traded at odds-on in this event last year after he too had suffered a final round disappointment at Augusta National the previous week.

First round leader, Charl Schwartzel, bounced on day two this year, following his opening round 64 with a bogey-strewn 75 but on the whole, I don't think we need to be too concerned about whether a player was in action in the year's first major or not. We do need to be looking for a top-class winner though. The cream comes to the top at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club and Oosthuizen was the third top-drawer accurate iron-player to win in-a-row.

The track seemed to suit the South Africans in particular. Growing up playing on grainy greens is a distinct advantage when the tour stops off in Asia and Louis was amongst his fellow countrymen atop of the leaderboard all week long.

I've already lost a few hours with some professional brooding and some frustration-pounding gym work so that's all I've got today on the analysis front. It's time to get on with this week now and the business of finding a much-needed winner. I'll be back tomorrow or Wednesday with my previews for both events, the Volvo China Open and the Valero Texas Open.

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