Sunday 30 June 2019 21:26, UK
Christiaan Bezuidenhout paid tribute to his illustrious compatriot Ernie Els after his huge win at Valderrama secured a place in the field for The 148th Open.
Bezuidenhout overcame a front-nine stutter and the challenge of playing alongside home favourite and world No 11 Jon Rahm to claim his maiden European Tour title by a six-stroke margin and earn the right to take on the golfing elite at Royal Portrush in less than three weeks' time.
The South African will be joined at the final major of the year by Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Adri Arnaus, who were awarded the other two Open places on offer by virtue of their better world rankings over Alvaro Quiros and Eduardo De La Riva, who were all tied for second along with Rahm at the Andalucia Masters.
"It's amazing," said Bezuidenhout, who dropped four shots in five holes on the front nine in Spain before responding with three straight birdies around the turn and cruising to the title with impressive composure. "It has always been a dream of mine to play in The Open and it's going to be a great week.
"It was going to be my goal in the next three-week stretch and to do it in the first week is very special. I'm definitely looking forward to it. It's my favourite major of the year and just to play in it is really special. It's going to mean a lot to me to play in front of the crowd there."
Bezuidenhout is a graduate of the Ernie Els Foundation and was keen to express his gratitude to the four-time major winner, and two-time Champion Golfer of the Year for the impact he has had on the European Tour's latest maiden champion.
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"Ernie has done a lot for me in my career," added Bezuidenhout. "I have been part of his foundation for seven years. He has won The Open twice so it's special for us South African boys."
Bezuidenhout is also hoping to banish the memories of his previous visit to Royal Portrush five years ago, when he failed a doping test during the Amateur Championship.
The now 25-year-old developed a severe stammer after accidentally drinking rat poison as a young child, and he was prescribed beta blockers to help combat his condition which ultimately led to his removal from competitive golf for nine months.
He was initially banned for two years before the suspension was reduced on appeal after it was decided that Bezuidenhout was not attempting to gain an unfair advantage, although he still missed out on a place on the South African team for the prestigious Eisenhower Trophy in Japan.
In his European Tour player blog earlier this year, he wrote of the incident: "I just broke down, it was awful. I had spent my whole amateur career working to get into that Eisenhower side to represent my nation, it was a huge goal of mine to be selected in the team.
"To be told two days before the event that I couldn't go because of a two-year drugs ban was simply too much for me to take in. It felt like my life was over."
Lorenzo-Vera, meanwhile, was delighted to claim a second Open appearance thanks to a clutch par save on the final hole at Valderrama, and the Frenchman is looking forward to building on his encouraging top-20 finish at the PGA Championship in May.
"My objective at the beginning of the season was to play two majors," he said. "I played the PGA Championship and I absolutely needed this one. That could be great for my mind.
"I knew that to give myself a chance to make The Open I needed to make four on the last and I hooked that three wood which was not the best idea. I hit a good wedge but the green is an absolute rock so it just released a bit. I had to make it, I made it, that was cool."
Arnaus snatched the third Open berth following a spirited finish to his tournament, with four birdies in five holes over the back nine lifting him into a share of second place, six strokes adrift of the champion.
"All week the place in The Open is what I came here for," said the Spaniard. "It's just an incredible feeling to come out here on home soil, play well, and get one of those spots. It's going to be packed and I'm really looking forward to playing links golf in front of those crowds and get another great experience under my belt."
