Cape Town - No one could catch Louis Oosthuizen at St Andrews when he won The Open in one of the biggest shocks in recent years and it was déjà vu in the Sport24 Performance of the Month Awards as no one came close to the man from Mossel Bay. ‘Shrek’ slayed all opposition put in front of him and received 79.08% of the 3 538 votes. Not even Danny Jordaan, who oversaw a hugely successful Soccer World Cup on home soil, was in contention with only 8.56% of the votes. South African sensation, Jordy Smith, surfed his way into a credible third spot with 7.94% of the votes for his victory at the Billabong Pro at J-Bay.

Whilst Oosthuizen was using his head for good reason, Bakkies Botha decided to use his for another purpose altogether. The fiery lock earned the Sport24 Plonker of the Month Award with 48.24% of the votes after he rather crudely head-butted All Blacks scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan soon after the start of the Tri-Nations Test in Auckland. Somehow he escaped a yellow card, but it came not long afterwards anyway … and then he was duly cited and banned for nine weeks.

While Bakkies was in trouble for using his head, Peter de Villiers (42.56%) was using his mouth to get himself into trouble, this time suggesting his side might have to resort to “cheating” to combat apparently biased refereeing, and he was called to SANZAR to account for his theory of a “conspiracy” by whistle-men whom he suggested were blowing in the All Blacks’ favour to stimulate interest in next year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Finally, what were SARU thinking when they decided to allow singer Kurt Darren and former SA netball star Irene van Dyk (these days an unashamedly staunch Kiwi after having emigrated) to perform the Springbok jersey handover presentations ahead of Tests on the woeful away leg of the Tri-Nations? There was a predictable public chorus of complaint and insistence that prior Bok legends be reinstated as more suitable guests for the mini-ceremony. That gaffe earned them 4.5% of the votes.

Click HERE to vote in this month’s Sport24 Awards!