Successfully defended his Africa Open to begin his season, taking a two-stroke victory at East London GC over fellow countrymen Tjaaart van der Walt. Shot an 11-under 62 on the par-73 East London GC in the second round. Is 43-under in his last two Africa Opens, with eight consecutive sub-par rounds.

Struggled on the weekend at the Volvo Golf Champions in mid-January, shooting even par at The Links at Fancourt to T7 in South Africa.

In his fifth PGA TOUR start of the season, opened with rounds of 67-66-66 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Shell Houston Open. In his third start at Greystone GC, struggled early Sunday (5-over 41 on the front-nine) but fought back to a 3-over 75, finishing solo third behind winner Hunter Mahan.

Lost on the second playoff hole to Bubba Watson at the 76th Masters Tournament. It is his first playoff on the PGA TOUR. Missed his previous three cuts at Augusta National GC. Also missed his previous three cuts before winning the 2010 British Open. Recorded the first double eagle in Masters history on No. 2. Did it in the final round (4 iron from 253 yards). It was the fourth double eagle in Masters history (Bruce Devlin on No. 8, 1967; Jeff Maggert on No. 13, 1994; Gene Sarazen on No. 15, 1935. Sarazen made the double eagle on April 7, 1935 and then won the next day in a 36-hole playoff. Oosthuizen made his double eagle on April 8. Sarazen is the only player since 1900 to record a double eagle on his way to winning a major championship. His double eagle is the 11th in a major since 1970.

2011: In first full season on TOUR, made 10 of 15 cuts with a trio of top-10 finishes.

Finished T9 at the U.S. Open on the strength of a final round 67. Recorded his first top 10 on TOUR and first since a T9 finish at the 2010 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. He had missed seven of his last eight cuts in majors coming into the week. Missed the cut in his only other start at the U.S. Open, in 2010.

Making his 15th start of the season, finished solo fourth at the McGladrey Classic with four rounds in the 60s for only his third top-10 finish on the PGA TOUR since winning the 2010 British Open.

Won for the first time since his two-win 2010 season when he captured the Africa Open in a playoff over Chris Wood and Manuel Quiros. Made birdie on the first extra hole at East London GC.

Picked up a top-10 late in the season when he T7 at the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai. Began the final round two strokes behind leader Fredrik Jacobson but couldn't make a move after shooting a final-round, even-par 72 at Sheshan International GC.

Added a second consecutive international top 10 with a T3 at the rain-shortened Barclays Singapore Open. He shot 63-65 over his final two rounds to miss the Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano-Juvic Pagunsan playoff by a stroke.

A week later, at the Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia, he T8. 2010: Won first career major championship at the British Open, lapping the field by seven strokes in the process. Finished 10th in the final Race to Dubai on the European Tour.

Won the Open de Golf de Andalucia on the European Tour in late March, earning a spot in the Masters two weeks later.

Led over the final 48 holes and blew away the field at the British Open by seven strokes. The win occurred one week after his native South Africa concluded a wildly popular World Cup and the day Nelson Mandela celebrated his 92nd birthday. Opened with a 7-under 65—the lowest score by an eventual British Open winner—and closed with a 1-under 71 for a seven-stroke victory over Lee Westwood. The only challenge came from Paul Casey, who got within three shots after the eighth hole, but then made a triple bogey on the 12th hole. Finished at 16-under 272 and became the first player since Tony Lema in 1964 to win his first major at St. Andrews. With the seventh career worldwide victory of his career, moved to No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking. Made only two bogeys over the final 35 holes in a strong wind that swept across the Old Course at St. Andrews. Had made only one of eight cuts in Majors coming into the British Open.

In first appearance in the U.S. following his British Open victory, shot weekend scores of 68-65 at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational to finish T9 in his first-ever start at Firestone CC. 2009: Made six starts on the PGA TOUR, with a best finish of T20 at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship.

Missed the cut in three majors starts.

Came close to winning on the European Tour at the start of 2009 with successive runner-up finishes early in the year. 2008: Made the cut in two of three events on the PGA TOUR.

Recorded his highest finish on the order of merit, thanks, in part, to his second consecutive win at the Telkom PGA Championship. As well as he played a year earlier, he was better during his second win. Fashioned rounds of 66-63-66-65 in his victory. 2007: Had a successful season in homeland on the Sunshine Tour.

Won the Dimension Data Pro-Am in January. Opened with a 66 and followed with 71-71-69 to beat Omar Sandys by a stroke.

First win of the season came at the Telkom PGA Championship in February, where he shot four sub-70 rounds to win (67-65-69-65).

Lone PGA TOUR start came at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship, a T50 in Florida. 2006: Top European Tour finish was a T14 at the Open de Espana en Andalucia.

On the Sunshine Tour, he had three top-10s, a T5 at the South African Airways Open, a T7 at the Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour-Eastern Cape Pezula and a T9 at the Vodacom Tour Championship. 2005: Finished runner-up with Charl Schwartzel at the Dunhill Championship on the Sunshine Tour, three strokes behind Ernie Els at Leopard Creek GC.

Eleven months earlier, he started the final round of the Dimension Data Pro-Am in fourth place, shot a final-round 74 and finished fourth.

Was also T8 at the Telkom PGA Championship in February. 2004: In September, won the 54-hole Vodacom Origins-Arabella on the Sunshine Tour by a stroke over Keith Horne.

In January, was fourth at the Dimension Data Pro-Am, an event won by Darren Fichardt.

On the European Tour, was T4 at the Open de Sevilla, with rounds of 67-66 on the weekend.

Was also solo eighth at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open TPC of Europe.

An opening 74 at the Sunshine Tour's Tour Championship proved his undoing, as he couldn't recover, even with a 68-68-66 finish. Still ended three strokes behind winner Andrew McLardy.

Qualified for his first major championship but missed the cut at the British Open. 2003: Top finish while playing a worldwide schedule was a T5 at the 54-hole Stanbic Zambia Open in Africa. Amateur: Won numerous amateur titles before turning professional in 2002 at the age of 19.

Comes from a strong tennis family with his father and brother both playing.

A member of the Ernie Els Foundation in South Africa from 2000-02. The Ernie Els Foundation benefits families of limited resources and provides educational assistance and playing opportunities in order to produce successful young leaders and develop their playing ability to its full potential. “Getting into golf is very expensive. My dad is a farmer, and in the early years things weren't going that great on the farm. But when I was 17, I managed to become a member of Ernie's Foundation in South Africa and it was unbelievable what he did for me, helping with expenses and things like that.".