It's been an impressive summer for members of the European Tour

Following Graeme McDowell's historic US Open win at Pebble Beach in mid June it has been quite a month of July for members of the European Tour, with Louis Oosthuizen winning the Open Championship and of course Carl Pettersson following that up right here with his win at the RBC Canadian Open.

Nine of the world's top fifteen are from the Euro Tour led by Lee Westwood at #3, and he of course may well be #1 by the end of this week....

Monty's team for the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor at the end of September should be a real handful for Corey Pavin's defending champions....Consider playing against Westwood, McIlroy, Casey, Donald, Poulter, McDowell, Kaymer, Harrington, the Molinari's, not to mention Justin Rose, all at home in front of a rabid Welsh  crowd. Guys like Stenson, Garcia, and Karlsson may not even make the team..

Here is today's release from my friend Roddy Williams, press officer European Tour..

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen has been named The Race to Dubai Golfer of the Month for July following his magnificent seven shot victory in the 150th Anniversary Open Championship.

The 27 year old claimed his first Major title at the venue where every player wants to win – the Old Course at St Andrews – and he will receive an engraved alms dish and a jeroboam of Moët & Chandon champagne in recognition of his fantastic achievement
His opening round of 65 went into the record books as the lowest opening round by a winner while his 16 under par total of 272 helped give him the seventh biggest winning margin in Open Championship history.

By lifting the Claret Jug, Oosthuizen followed in the footsteps of fellow South Africans Bobby Locke, Gary Player - four and three-time Open Champions respectively - and 2002 Champion Ernie Els, whose Foundation helped develop his career. He also became the sixth South African golfer in total to win a Major
Championship.

Furthermore, a week later, he almost made history again at the Nordea Scandinavian Masters, his bid to become the first player to win The Open Championship and triumph in the next event falling narrowly short as he finished joint fourth.

“Winning The Open was special but winning at St Andrews was something else, it was incredible,” said Oosthuizen. “It was bigger than I ever imagined. You have this picture in your mind what it's going to be like after a Major win, and I think it was ten times what I expected. It’s been a fantastic reaction
.”
Oosthuizen is in action at the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club this week after a celebration at his home club of Mossel Bay in South Africa, where he has had a new bridge dedicated to him and had the pleasure of trying out the new tractor on his farm, purchased on the back of his Open success.
Aside from Oosthuizen, July was an impressive month for European Tour Members.

The month began with Miguel Angel Jiménez winning the ALSTOM Open de France to become the oldest winner of Continental Europe’s oldest Open. Edoardo Molinari continued his meteoric rise with victory in The Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, lifting him into the world’s top 20 for the first time. Ross Fisher claimed his fourth European Tour title by winning the 3 Irish Open while on the US PGA Tour, Justin Rose captured his second victory of the season by winning the AT&T National. There was also honourable mention made of Bernhard Langer, who became the first player since Tom Watson in 2003 to win back to back Senior Major Championships when, in consecutive weeks, he captured the Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard at Carnoustie and the US Senior Open at Sahalee in Washington.

Bryan Angus