Louis Oosthuizen's last visit to Scotland was a painful experience.
Having hirpled and creaked his way through eight holes of July's Open Championship at Muirfield before withdrawing, the South African has spent the last few weeks recuperating. Now, the 30-year-old is ready to get back in the swing. Three years after winning the Open at St Andrews, Oosthuizen is in the home of golf again.
"I'm definitely not 100 percent but I'm in playable mode and I can play without pain," said Oosthuizen, whose aches and pains began with whiplash sustained in a car crash and ended up impacting on his leg. "I rested and then went to rehab and did some really good work, the kind of work you can't do while you're playing golf tournaments."
Oosthuizen forms part of a vast South African contingent competing this week. While many of Europe's leading lights have given the event a wide berth, the boys from the rainbow nation have come in their droves to find the pot of gold on offer here. Oosthuizen, as well as double Open champion Ernie Els, former Masters winner Charl Schwartzel, Richard Sterne and defending Dunhill Links champion Branden Grace are all representing Nick Price's International team in the Presidents Cup against the USA in Ohio next week.
"It's been a tough one because a lot of the guys wanted a week off ahead of the Presidents Cup," explained Grace. "But it all came together and [John Rupert, the tournament chairman] was nice enough to arrange a flight for us to the Presidents Cup on Monday morning. It's nice to be able to give a little bit back."
A few other players should perhaps take note.
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