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On a perfect day for golf at St. Andrews, when other more seasoned professionals stumbled, Louis Oosthuizen played his game to a tee and won the 139th British Open going away.

There were many who expected the 27 year old S. African to stumble, but it never happened. While players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Paul Casey struggled, this virtual unknown stepped up and hit it out of the park with a what some called a Tiger like victory.

The tide is turning as more young players are turning up the heat on tour. This year we have seen the emergence of many new winners on tour.

These players are not intimidated by the established players on tour and are showing that they have come to make a name for themselves.

I was shocked to here talk of Tiger’s decline. It is true, Wood’s does not have the fire he had even last year and his time as the top player on tour may be coming to an end. Mickelson who is a fan favorite and number 2 in the world still has it, but is spending more time with family than he is hunting for that coveted number 1 title.

The time has come for the media and the fans to start looking at the Louis Oosthuizen’s, Rickie Fowlers, Rory McIlroy’s

AP Photo/Peter Morrison

and others for the next dominant player on tour.

I can remember at the beginning of the year when all the golf talking heads were questioning whether golf would survive without Tiger Woods. With 3 of the 4 majors complete, I would have to say that not only has professional golf survived, it is alive and well.

Congratulations to Louis Oosthuizen for a great win under adverse conditions. You showed the world that you can play with the big boys. I look forward to watching you on tour, even if it means spending more time watching the European tour.

© 2010, David Wakeman. All rights reserved. On republishing this post you must provide link to original post.

Golf Psychology is often looked at by amateurs as nothing more than visualization of their golf shots.  Professional golfers look at it completely differently and often times spend thousands of dollars working with a psychologist to improve the golf mind.

I was contacted a couple of days ago by Roy Palmer, author of several books including, Golf Sense. Roy and I exchanged a couple of emails and he asked me if I would be interested in reading and reviewing his book.

Being and avid golfer and a person always looking for a way to improve my game, I thought it would be good to read this book to get a different perspective.

I am in the process of reading the book and will be writing a complete review when I am done. What I have read so far is very intriguing.

If you are curious about the book, here is a link for you.

© 2010, David Wakeman. All rights reserved. On republishing this post you must provide link to original post.

The weather on Saturday, although windy, was only a minor distraction for second round leader Louis Oosthuizen.  Settling in after a shaky start Oosthuizen was able to finish with a 3 under 69 and to take a 4 stroke lead into the final round.

This is uncharted territory for the south African.  When he tees off on Sunday afternoon with Paul Casey, the tournament will be his to win or lose. If he continues to maintain his composure and play steady golf, he will hoist the claret jug when the day is done.

When the week began there was much speculation on who would win the 2010 British Open, but no one was talking about Oosthuizen.  Announcers and fans alike were looking for Tiger to be a big factor this week, but his play has been pedestrian and uninspiring.

Others wondered if Phil Mickelson would finally break out and challenge at St. Andrews, but the magic just hasn’t been there for him this week either.

Paul Casey has played steady all week and is poised to challenge for the lead, but it will take a very strong front nine to put pressure on Oosthuizen.  I expect the back nine will be as exciting as it has been in past years.

When you look at the leader board there are only 3 players from the US in the top ten with Dustin Johnson is the closest at 6 under par.

Sunday at any major is a test of will power, patience and perseverance.  The final round at St. Andrews is especially so.

I look forward to seeing the final round.

© 2010, David Wakeman. All rights reserved. On republishing this post you must provide link to original post.