SPORTING GREATS
Golf: Retief Goosen
Brad Morgan
Most South African-based golf experts, to their credit, knew that Retief Goosen was a big thing waiting to happen before he proved them right in 2001. 'The Goose' claimed his first major victory in 2001 when he won the US Open, often referred to as the most difficult major to win, with a steady display that included numerous fantastic saves on a difficult Southern Hills golf course.
The South African from Pietersburg finished the regulation event on four-under-par 284, tied with Mark Brooks, and one of only four players to break par. Goosen then dominated the next day's 18-hole playoff against the 1996 PGA champion to win the title by two shots.
It would be wrong, however, to suggest that Goosen's career amounts to success in the US Open. He has proved that he is far more than a one-tournament wonder, plying his trade in South Africa, Europe and the United States.
Professional
Goosen turned professional in 1990, having become South
African Amateur champion. It took him some time to make his mark. In 1993, though, he served notice of things to come when he finished second in the Goodyear Classic, finishing on 10-under-par 278 and picking up a nice cheque for R40 250 (an amount that would pale into significance when he won the US Open and with it a cheque for $900 000). In the same season, the Goose finished in the top 10 on a further four occasions.
Goosen also made four appearances in Europe, with a best finish of second place in the Dubai Desert Classic that earned him £44 440. He claimed a further three top-10 finishes in 24 starts, leaving him in 44th position on the Order of Merit.
He improved his year-end position to 39th the following season, although his earnings decreased slightly. His best result was a share of second spot in the Portuguese Open, while he secured third-place finishes in the Hohe Brucke Open and the Murphy's English Open. In South Africa he played seven events, slipping down
the local standings from third to 18th.
Disappointing form
In 1995 Goosen plummeted down the European Tour rankings from 39th to 94th. He enjoyed only two top-10 finishes, his best being a share of fifth in the Open Catalonia. Even in South Africa it was a poor season for him. He played in six events, earning R75 802 and ending 28th on the Order of Merit.
1996 saw a significant improvement. Goosen rose 69 places on the European Order of Merit to finish in 25th spot. More significantly, he won his first European Tour title, clinching the Slaley Hall Northumberland Challenge with a four-round total of 11-under-par 277. He enjoyed two other excellent finishes, claiming third in the Peugeot Open de France and sharing fourth in the Deutsche Bank Open.
His improvement was clearly reflected on the Sunshine Tour, where he finished second on the Order of Merit despite playing in only six events.
Improvement
1997 was again a year of great improvement for the quietly spoken South African. He secured a second European Tour victory, winning the Peugeot Open de France, and claimed top-10 finishes in six other events, including second place in the Compaq European Grand Prix and third in the Gulfstream Loch Lomond World Invitational.
Goosen played in only two South African events, but his results were solid – sixth place in the South African Open and fourth in the Alfred Dunhill South African PGA.
In 1998 the likeable Goosen again experienced a drop-off, winning about half as much money as the previous year in Europe. He ended the year in 33rd place in Europe, a big disappointment considering his 7th place in 1997. His best results included third place in the Johnnie Walker Classic and a tie for third in the Alfred Dunhill South African PGA.
The following year, however, the Goose surged 28 places to finish the European season in a
career-best 5th position. With the official currency of the tour changing, he broke the 1-million euro barrier.
Consistency
In a display of remarkable consistency, Goosen recorded 13 top-10 finishes, including another victory in France, this time in the Novotel Perrier Open de France. He also finished runner-up on a remarkable four occasions, earning his biggest cheque of the season at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open, a reward of 186 650 Euros.
Goosen's consistency carried through to South Africa, where he finished fourth in the Alfred Dunhill Championship and tied for fifth at the SA Open.
2000 wasn't quite as strong a season for Goosen. He finished in the top 10 on six occasions – including another French victory, this time at the Trophee Lancome – his earnings fell below the 1-million euro mark, and he finished the season in 15th spot on the Order of Merit. His stroke average reflected his drop-off: in 1998 it was 71 and in 1999 it
improved to 70.5, but in 2000 it fell again to 71.1.
2001 did not start in any special fashion for the Goose, with a tie for 17th at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, tie for 7th at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, tie for 21st at the Mercedes-Benz South African Open, tie for 17th at the Dubai Desert Classic, a missed cut at the US Masters, tie for 7th at the Benson and Hedges International Open, and tie for 14th at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open. Goosen followed that up by missing two successive cuts.
Major victory
The next week, however, he was back on track with a tie for 5th in the Compass Group English Open. That boosted his confidence at just the right time – his next tournament was the US Open. There, the man whose name no American could pronounce, became the third South African to lift the title and only the sixth non-American to win it in 70 years.
Goosen's maiden major win was the catalyst for a dream season. Back in
Europe, he tied for 6th in the Smurfit European Open and followed that up with another title at the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond. Next up, he tied for 13th at the British Open, then crossed the Atlantic again for a 37th place finish at the US PGA Championship.
At the WGC-NEC Invitational Goosen finished 10th, followed by a tie for 23rd at the BMW International Open. France and the Trophee Lancome proved favoured destinations again for the South African star as he claimed second spot. Following that he tied for tenth in the Linde German Masters, tied for ninth in the Dunhill Links Championship, then won the Telefonica Open de Madrid to secure the European Order of Merit title.
After that win, his third of the year, Goosen rose to a career-high world ranking of 11th, not far behind friend and compatriot Ernie Els, who occupied fourth place. He wasn't finished, however, as he teamed up with Els to win the World Cup of Golf after a playoff victory over New Zealand, Denmark
and the powerful United States team of Tiger Woods and David Duval.
The Top 10
Two early season victories in 2002 lifted the Goose into the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time as he claimed the Johnnie Walker Classic and the Dimension Data Pro-Am titles, with rounds of 63 in both events. He was very consistent in Europe and also claimed runner-up positions in the European Open and the WGC - American Express Championships.
In the USA he won the BellSouth Classic and followed that up with a second place finish in the US Masters at Augusta.
In 2003, Goosen wasn't as strong on the European Tour as he had been in the past, but his game improved as the year progressed and he performed more consistently in the United States. In Europe, he won the Trophée Lancôme in France and finished second in the Malaysian Open.
He found his best American form towards the end of the year, capturing the Chrysler Championships to become
one of only five players to have won a title on the US PGA Tour for the preceding three years. He also finished second the The International and had two further top three finishes.
Building up to a major victory
Early on in 2004 Goosen started strongly with a fourth-place finish in the Mercedes Championships. Then followed some puzzling form. After a ninth-place finish in the FBR Open, he tied for thirty-third in the World Matchplay Championships, finished third in the Ford Open, and then missed two cuts in succession.
He showed better form at the US Masters, sharing thirteenth place. However, that was followed by another missed cut in the MCI Heritage. In the British Masters he shared fifty-second place, but then something started to happen.
Goosen shared eleventh-place in the Volvo PGA Championships, tied for eighth in The Memorial (won by Ernie Els), and then struck a huge double-blow, landing the US Open and the European Open in
successive victories on different continents.
In winning his second US Open title, he produced one of the greatest clutch putting display of all time on greens that could best be termed treacherous. And after that momentous win, he carried his form over to Europe, despite a busy, taxing schedule following his major victory.
The Goose has firmly established himself as one of golf’s elite players, holding down a position in the world top 10 - and reaching a high of fifth - and it shouldn't be too long before he lands himself another major. He has the temperament and he has the game.
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