PGA Championship: Elusive second major within reach for Louis Oosthuizen

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen has managed a runner-up finish in all four major tournaments since taking his only major victory at the 2010 British Open.

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But a long-sought second major trophy is within reach at the PGA Championship, where Oosthuizen fired a four-under par 68 on Friday to share the 36-hole lead with Phil Mickelson on five-under 139 at windy Kiawah Island.

“Drove it as good as I can drive it, and ball-striking was pretty good with the irons. With really windy conditions, you need that ball-striking to be on song,” said Louis Oosthuizen.

“I just need to stay in it this weekend and try not to play myself out of it tomorrow.”

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Since lifting the Claret Jug at St. Andrews in 2010, Louis Oosthuizen has been a runner-up at the 2012 Masters, 2015 US and British Opens and 2017 PGA Championship.

He lost a sudden death playoff to American Bubba Watson at Augusta National for the green jacket and was beaten in a four-hole aggregate playoff at the 2015 British Open at St. Andrews, falling by a stroke to American Zach Johnson.

He was a stroke behind American Jordan Spieth at Chambers Bay in the 2015 US Open and finished two strokes behind American Justin Thomas at Quail Hollow in the 2017 PGA.

“Two of them I was really close, was in playoffs,” Louis Oosthuizen said.

“I don’t think it’s a case of not being able to or thinking that I can’t get the second. It’s just both times I was outplayed.

“Look, it’ll be great to get a second major. There’s a lot of golf left and I just feel whenever I get to a major, I sort of have my game where I want to have it, and mentally I feel very strong at a major week.”

Louis Oosthuizen, 38, has gained confidence and experience from so many clutch rounds at so many majors as he makes his 49th major appearance.

He knows the nerves will set in as he plays alongside Mickelson in Saturday’s final pairing.

“You’ll be a little nervous. But I know that, and I know how to deal with it or know what I have to do,” Louis Oosthuizen said.

“I’m definitely comfortable playing in majors more now than before. Hitting it well and knowing your game is there, it makes it a little less stress, but you still need to hit the shots and play in the moment and play well.”

Oosthuizen was pleased to see a pair of countrymen make charges to join the 36-hole leaders, with Branden Grace and Christiaan Bezuidenhout two back on 141 sharing fourth as they chase a first major triumph.

“It’s great,” Louis Oosthuizen said.

“There are 11 South Africans here this week. We have a great program with youngsters coming through, and it’s great seeing them up there.

“They’re good friends and great players and they’ll definitely be up there this weekend.”

Second-round scores on Friday in the 2021 PGA Championship on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, South Carolina (USA unless noted, par-72):

139 – Phil Mickelson 70-69, Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 71-68

140 – Brooks Koepka 69-71

141 – Branden Grace (RSA) 70-71, Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA) 71-70, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 73-68

142 – Corey Conners (CAN) 67-75, Gary Woodland 70-72, Kevin Streelman 70-72, Im Sung-jae (KOR) 70-72, Paul Casey (ENG) 71-71

143 – Richy Werenski 71-72, Joaquin Niemann (CHI) 71-72, Harry Higgs 72-71, Martin Laird (SCO) 70-73, Jason Kokrak 71- 72, Bryson DeChambeau 72-71, Charley Hoffman 73-70

144 – Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG) 73-71, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 71-73, Ian Poulter (ENG) 74-70, Shane Lowry (IRL) 73-71, Keegan Bradley 69-75, Viktor Hovland (NOR) 69-75

145 – Daniel van Tonder (RSA) 75-70, Cameron Smith (AUS) 72-73, Will Zalatoris 71-74, Bubba Watson 72-73, Lee Westwood (ENG) 73-72, Tom Lewis (ENG) 71-74, Collin Morikawa 70-75

146 – Abraham Ancer (MEX) 74-72, Tony Finau 74-72, Patrick Cantlay 73-73, Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 71-75, Scottie Scheffler 72-74, Matt Wallace (ENG) 73-73, Brad Marek 73-73

147 – Rasmus Højgaard (DEN) 71-76, Jon Rahm (ESP) 72-75, Carlos Ortiz (MEX) 73-74, Justin Rose (ENG) 72-75, Steve Stricker 76-71, Cam Davis (AUS) 69-78, Joel Dahmen 74-73, Rickie Fowler 71-76, Jimmy Walker 73-74, Stewart Cink 71-76, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 75-72

148 – Adam Hadwin (CAN) 77-71, Russell Henley 78-70, Daniel Berger 79-69, Jordan Spieth 73-75, Lucas Herbert (AUS) 76-72, Dean Burmester (RSA) 74-74, Matt Jones (AUS) 73-75, An Byeong-hun (KOR) 73-75, Robert MacIntyre (SCO) 75-73, Danny Willett (ENG) 77-71, Jason Scrivener (AUS) 73-75, Aaron Wise 69-79, Brian Gay 77-71

149 – Robert Streb 77-72, Wyndham Clark 75-74, Sam Horsfield (ENG) 69-80, Jason Day (AUS) 74-75, Patrick Reed 74-75, Billy Horschel 77-72, Webb Simpson 75-74, Ben Cook 72-77, Talor Gooch 71-78, Brendan Steele 75-74, Harold Varner 73-76, Garrick Higgo (RSA) 73-76, Tom Hoge 74-75, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 73-76, Harris English, 75-74, Alex Noren (SWE) 77-72, Emiliano Grillo (ARG) 77-72, Kim Chan (KOR) 75-74, Denny McCarthy 73-76

Missed the cut:

150 – Andy Sullivan (ENG) 73-77, Brian Harman 75-75, Antoine Rozner (FRA) 79-71, Chez Reavie 77-73, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 77-73, Dustin Johnson 76-74, Victor Perez (FRA) 78-72, Mackenzie Hughes (CAN) 75-75, Marc Leishman (AUS) 74-76, Adam Scott (AUS) 78-72, Xander Schauffele 73-77, Justin Thomas 75-75, Peter Malnati 78-72

151 – Kim Si-woo (KOR) 75-76, Sebastián Munoz (COL) 77-74, Rich Beem 74-77, Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 76-75, Maverick McNealy 78-73, Brendon Todd 74-77, Thomas Detry (BEL) 76-75

152 – Danny Balin 79-73, Chris Kirk 76-76, Cameron Tringale 70-82, Dylan Frittelli (RSA) 73-79, Jason Dufner 71-81, Zach Johnson 74-78, Ryan Palmer 74-78, Martin Kaymer (GER) 75-77, Lanto Griffin 74-78

153 – Jim Herman 78-75, J.T. Poston 75-78, Greg Koch 76-77, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 78-75, Hudson Swafford 77-76, Erik van Rooyen (RSA) 72-81

154 – Kurt Kitayama 77-77, Sami Valimaki (FIN) 78-76, Max Homa 78-76, Matt Kuchar 77-77, Adam Long 72-82, George Coetzee (RSA) 75-79, John Catlin 75-79, Kevin Kisner 77-77, Kalle Samooja (FIN) 74-80, Brett Walker 77-77

155 – Pete Ballo 80-75, Lee Kyoung-hoon (KOR) 78-77, Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 76-79

156 – Tim Pearce 79-77, Aaron Rai (ENG) 81-75, Ben Polland 76-80, Mark Geddes (ENG) 75-81

157 – Jazz Janewattananond (THA) 77-80, Rob Labritz 76-81, Brandon Hagy 77-80, Kevin Na 79-78

159 – Cameron Champ 82-77, Stuart Smith 82-77, Rikuya Hoshino (JPN) 76-83

160 – Thomas Pieters (BEL) 76-84

161 – Alex Beach 75-86, Shaun Micheel 81-80, Brandon Stone 78-83 (RSA), Takumi Kanaya (JPN) 75-86

162 – Patrick Rada 76-86

163 – Sonny Skinner 85-78

164 – Larkin Gross 80-84

165 – Frank Bensel 86-79, Joe Summerhays 81-84, Omar Uresti 82-83, Derek Holmes 79-86

170 – Tyler Collet 88-82

171 – John Daly 85-86

WD – Sam Burns

DQ – Yang Yong-eun (KOR)