The Anonymous Widower

A Heartwarming Story From The Open

With just a few holes to go in the Open Golf, it looks increasingly like Louis Oosthuizen will win it. But behind the South African’s performance, there seems to be a story, that may feaure in tomorrow’s papers.

Oosthuizen’s caddy, Zack Rasego  is black and according to this report in the New York Times, it would appear that he came up the hard way, by working as a caddy at Sun City. Here’s a taste of what is said.

Rasego, who once caddied for the South African icon Gary Player, has been with Oosthuizen since 2003, when Oosthuizen’s management company helped put them in contact. They have developed a close working relationship and communicate frequently on the course in Afrikaans.

The faltering image of South Africa as a “rainbow nation” has regained some of its luster with the successful staging of soccer’s World Cup and a renewed sense of common purpose between the country’s black majority and white minority.

Rasego, who is one of the few black caddies on tour, and Oosthuizen, who is white, are aware that they reinforce that image but do not wish to focus on it.

“As South Africans, we are a rainbow team,” Rasego said. “But really it’s politics aside. It’s a sport. We cannot put politics into sport.”

Let’s hope nothing serious happens to them in the last few holes.

July 18, 2010 - Posted by AnonW | Sport | Golf, Race, South Africa