Louis Oosthuizen wins British Open at St. Andrews by 7 strokes | Golf

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Throughout a march toward the British Open championship that went from improbable to inexorable with each stride down the Old Course's hardening fairways Sunday, three things about Louis Oosthuizen did not change: his demeanor, his swing tempo and his resilience.

And the moment it seemed the South African's grip on the claret jug might be slipping, when he missed a 15-foot putt for par on the eighth green and his lead over Paul Casey dropped to three strokes from five, Oosthuizen responded in the manner of a champion.

Oosthuizen, whose prominent ears and gaptoothed smile earned him the nickname "Shrek" from friends, drove the green at the 352-yard ninth hole and made a 40-foot eagle putt, all but terminating title hopes harbored by Casey, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson or anyone else in the field.

With that momentum change, the 27-year-old Oosthuizen cruised to a round of 1-under-par 71 and a seven-stroke victory over Westwood (70) to win his first major championship.

Oosthuizen, who earned $1,305,593, became the fourth South African golfer to win a British Open. He joined four-time winner Bobby Locke; three-time winner Gary Player and 2002 champion Ernie Els. Oosthuizen became the first golfer to make St. Andrews the site of his first major championship since American Tony Lema in 1964.

"To win an Open Championship is special," Oosthuizen said. "But to win it here at St. Andrews is just — it's something you dream about.

"Yeah, I'm proud of the way I held my nerves and everything."

In four days of spectacular golf, a man whose name was barely known outside Europe a week ago dominated a field of the best-known golfers in the world. He finished at 16-under 272, and pounded them and the course into submission with a combination of precision (No. 1 in driving accuracy), power (No. 4 in driving distance at 319.4 yards) and putting (No. 3).

When Oosthuizen delivered his speech as the "champion golfer of the year," behind the Royal and Ancient clubhouse, he thanked Nelson Mandela, South Africa's former president, and wished him a happy 92nd birthday.

"What he's done for our country is unbelievable," Oosthuizen said. "So happy birthday to him once again."

Oosthuizen's clinic was the most dominating performance in a British Open since American Tiger Woods won by eight strokes here in 2000. Woods (72) tied for 23rd place this time.

It was the top-ranked Woods' seventh tournament of the year without a victory.

"I'm not going to win all of them," he said after his worst 72-hole finish in a major since 2004. "I've lost a lot more than I've won."

Oosthuizen might have been nervous, but it didn't show. Charl Schwartzel, his best friend from their junior-golf days, ran into him Saturday and said Oosthuizen was showing him comedy videos on his phone.

"This was about an hour before he teed off," Schwartzel said.

Casey (75) had a triple bogey on No. 12 and ended up tied for third with Rory McIlroy (68) and Stenson (71).

"Nobody was going to stop him," Casey said of Oosthuizen. "He didn't miss a shot today. I don't know if he missed one all week."