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St. Andrews - Farmer's boy Louis Oosthuizen was left leading the British Open in the second round here on Friday through a combination of his own talent and the forces of nature.
The 27-year-old South African, who looks to Ernie Els as his mentor, defied heavy rain showers and cold conditions over the Old Course in the morning to post a 67 and a 12-under total.
He then put up his feet as the rain relented and the wind whipped up, forcing a 65 minute play suspension and blowing his main rivals off course.
Overnight leader at nine-under, Rory McIlroy, had been poised to possibly forge into a commanding lead by the halfway stage, but even he struggled in the blustery afternoon conditions.
McIlroy parred his first three holes before the suspension, but promptly had his first bogey of the tournament at the fourth when play resumed to fall four back.
It was even worse for Tiger Woods, who bogeyed the first and the second holes after being pulled off on the first green due to the wind. Woods had started the day handily placed at five under.
Opening day hero John Daly bogeyed the sixth and seventh holes to fall to four under putting more pressure on his brittle temperament.
As Tom Watson had predicted, what the Old Course gave up on one day it took back on another.
The 27-year-old South African Ooosthuizen, who had failed to make the cut in his three previous Open campaigns, started the second round in second place at seven-under par, two behind McIlroy.
But three birdies in a row from the fifth hole, despite heavy early morning rain, saw him move ahead as he went out in 33.
Oosthuizen followed up with four birdies against two bogeys on the back nine to come in with a 67, which gave him the overall lead in the clubhouse at 12-under par.
The Oosthuizen charge at St Andrews came out of the blue, as he had failed to make the cut in his three previous Open campaigns.
But his first top-tier win at the Andalucia Open in March provided him with a much-needed confidence booster to take his game onto a higher level.
"I think the win earlier in the year in Spain got my confidence going quite a bit, and I've been playing well all year, really," said Oosthuizen, who credits compatriot Els with helping him bridge the gap between a struggling farming family background to the life of a professional golfer.
"You know, it's just a matter of making crucial putts, I think, and yesterday I made a few crucial ones. Today I missed a few, but I made good ones, as well.
"I'm very confident the way I'm playing I'm hitting it well, and you know, I'm just having a lot of fun, really."
Oosthuizen's 67 was all the more remarkable in that the morning play was marked by heavy downpours that soaked the Old Course and sent spectators scurrying for cover.
In fact, the South African was the only player out in the morning to catch McIlroy.
The next best at seven under was 50-year-old 1989 Open Champion Mark Calcavecchia, who had a fine five-under 67.
England's Paul Casey did get to eight under with two holes to go, but a triple-bogey seven at the 17th Road Hole pegged him back. He rebounded with a birdie at the last and settled for a second straight 69 for six under.
"To be honest, I'm not even that frustrated with what happened on 17," he said. "If you had told me I'd be in the clubhouse on six under I would have bitten your arm off especially with the conditions we had."
European number one Lee Westwood joined Casey at that mark, taking a birdie at the fifth and then parring the next 14 holes for a 71.
The English pair were one ahead of Americans Tom Lehman (68) and Ricky Barnes (71), Peter Hanson of Sweden (73), Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain (67) and last month's US Open winner, Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland (68).
World number two Phil Mickelson struggled to a one-under 71 despite an eagle three at the fifth and at level par for the tournament he faced a long wait to see if he would make the cut.
The 27-year-old South African, who looks to Ernie Els as his mentor, defied heavy rain showers and cold conditions over the Old Course in the morning to post a 67 and a 12-under total.
He then put up his feet as the rain relented and the wind whipped up, forcing a 65 minute play suspension and blowing his main rivals off course.
Overnight leader at nine-under, Rory McIlroy, had been poised to possibly forge into a commanding lead by the halfway stage, but even he struggled in the blustery afternoon conditions.
McIlroy parred his first three holes before the suspension, but promptly had his first bogey of the tournament at the fourth when play resumed to fall four back.
It was even worse for Tiger Woods, who bogeyed the first and the second holes after being pulled off on the first green due to the wind. Woods had started the day handily placed at five under.
Opening day hero John Daly bogeyed the sixth and seventh holes to fall to four under putting more pressure on his brittle temperament.
As Tom Watson had predicted, what the Old Course gave up on one day it took back on another.
The 27-year-old South African Ooosthuizen, who had failed to make the cut in his three previous Open campaigns, started the second round in second place at seven-under par, two behind McIlroy.
But three birdies in a row from the fifth hole, despite heavy early morning rain, saw him move ahead as he went out in 33.
Oosthuizen followed up with four birdies against two bogeys on the back nine to come in with a 67, which gave him the overall lead in the clubhouse at 12-under par.
The Oosthuizen charge at St Andrews came out of the blue, as he had failed to make the cut in his three previous Open campaigns.
But his first top-tier win at the Andalucia Open in March provided him with a much-needed confidence booster to take his game onto a higher level.
"I think the win earlier in the year in Spain got my confidence going quite a bit, and I've been playing well all year, really," said Oosthuizen, who credits compatriot Els with helping him bridge the gap between a struggling farming family background to the life of a professional golfer.
"You know, it's just a matter of making crucial putts, I think, and yesterday I made a few crucial ones. Today I missed a few, but I made good ones, as well.
"I'm very confident the way I'm playing I'm hitting it well, and you know, I'm just having a lot of fun, really."
Oosthuizen's 67 was all the more remarkable in that the morning play was marked by heavy downpours that soaked the Old Course and sent spectators scurrying for cover.
In fact, the South African was the only player out in the morning to catch McIlroy.
The next best at seven under was 50-year-old 1989 Open Champion Mark Calcavecchia, who had a fine five-under 67.
England's Paul Casey did get to eight under with two holes to go, but a triple-bogey seven at the 17th Road Hole pegged him back. He rebounded with a birdie at the last and settled for a second straight 69 for six under.
"To be honest, I'm not even that frustrated with what happened on 17," he said. "If you had told me I'd be in the clubhouse on six under I would have bitten your arm off especially with the conditions we had."
European number one Lee Westwood joined Casey at that mark, taking a birdie at the fifth and then parring the next 14 holes for a 71.
The English pair were one ahead of Americans Tom Lehman (68) and Ricky Barnes (71), Peter Hanson of Sweden (73), Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain (67) and last month's US Open winner, Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland (68).
World number two Phil Mickelson struggled to a one-under 71 despite an eagle three at the fifth and at level par for the tournament he faced a long wait to see if he would make the cut.
