* Schwartzel kept Masters talk to a minimum
(Adds details, quotes)
KUALA LUMPUR, April 11 (Reuters) - After playoff heartbreak
at the U.S. Masters, Louis Oosthuizen spent every minute of his
near 30-hour journey to Malaysia thinking about what more he
could have done at Augusta.
The 2010 British Open champion lost on the second extra hole
to American Bubba Watson at the Masters late on Sunday before
making the lengthy journey across continents to compete in the
European and Asian Tour co-sanctioned Malaysian Open.
With his compatriot, friend and 2011 Masters champion Charl
Schwartzel alongside him, the weary South African said on
Wednesday the long journey had allowed him time to reflect on
his green jacket near miss.
"Every second on the flight I was thinking about what I
would have done different," the gap-toothed 29-year-old told
reporters while slumped on a sofa at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and
Country Club.
"But I think there probably isn't much I would have done
different. I felt like I gave it my all, didn't throw anything
away, played the best I probably could have coming down the
stretch in a major and I was outplayed.
"Being that close to the green jacket is tough to get over
it immediately but I think time will heal it and it just gives
me a bit more confidence when I put it on eventually that I will
be over it."
Schwartzel said he had been a nervous watcher of the final
round action and was full of praise for his friend, though he
thought it best keep Masters talk to a minimum on the flight.
"We have known each other for a long time and you know what
a player feels like so sometimes you just don't have to say
anything, you know what he is going through," an exhausted
looking Schwartzel told reporters.
"He is the type of guy that seems to get over things a
little bit quicker and like I said, sometimes you don't have to
say anything you just have to be a friend.
"It would have been quite a story if that had happened
(Oosthuizen winning). I think Louis probably played the best but
it just didn't turn out his way and sometimes it feels very
unfair."
A NICE SLEEP
The South African duo left Augusta on Monday morning and
touched down in Kuala Lumpur late on Tuesday night with
Oosthuizen's family making the late decision to join him on the
journey to Malaysia.
"We arrived last night at 11 at the hotel so yeah...,"
Oosthuizen said, his tiredness leaving him unable to finish his
sentence. "
I have got my wife and two kids with me this week, they
decided late to come with which is nice. I went to bed at two
this morning and just before five I woke up with my little girl
watching movies so yeah, not a lot of sleep."
The duo competed in the pro-am on Wednesday and have been
given an 0800 tee-off time in Thursday's first round where they
will play alongside Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.
Asked if he was disappointed organisers could not afford him
a chance to rest on Thursday morning, the optimistic Oosthuizen
was looking at the positives.
"I was thinking I would have a nice sleep after," he said,
flashing a grin. "Sometimes it is also good to just get a
tournament underway. It will be a good round to see how the
concentration will be."
(Editing by Amlan Chakraborty/Peter Rutherford)
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