SPONSORED FEATURE | BALLANTINE’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Discover the Legend For this year’s Ballantine’s Championship, Ballantine’s has been running the ‘Discover the Legend’ campaign; providing a variety of unique insights into both the game of golf and those who play it. Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen and YE Yang pay tribute to their own legends – the players they believe have most influenced the game. Do you think golf itself is a legend? Dustin Johnson: Golf itself is a legend. It’s a legend that has been played throughout history and it’s such a unique game that you can play with everyone, businessmen or whoever. I can go and play with all my friends and although they play basketball, baseball or football, they all still love playing golf. The game will further evolve and is constantly changing. From when I started playing golf, until now, golf has definitely changed. For example with the drivers; I will always hit with a metal wood but I did have a couple of wooden clubs when I started which was when metal woods were just coming out. The size of the clubs and the balls from when I started to now is amazing; golf has changed completely. Louis Oosthuizen: History is what makes the sport. Everyone will always recognise St Andrews as where golf evolved from and that is a great part of the heritage. Everyone wants to leave their own legacy on the game and become a legend in their own right. As a child growing up, I remember being inspired by watching old videos of Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen. Hopefully children today will be inspired by watching my generation of players – it’s an endless cycle that works in keeping the legend of golf alive. When Tiger Woods came along, it was scary what he did to the game and I think everyone’s level just went up big time. He had a stage where whenever he walked on the course he won the tournament and I think everyone got better and better as a result. 70
HK Golfer・JUL 2013
ambition of one day turning pro and becoming a legend themselves. There is no doubt that Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer are living legends because of the titles they have won throughout their careers. What is also so impressive is the work they do away from the course and that is why they are exemplary golfers for me to follow. Louis Oosthuizen: It has to be those who have won and are still winning majors. Lee Westwood has had a brilliant career and I am sure he is just inches away from winning a major which would make him a great legend. I think there are so many good golfers coming through all the time. Rory McIlroy is still very young and he’s already got two majors; you can see him winning loads more. I think as golfers win more and more majors then new legends will be born. What do you need to do to be considered a legend?
Who do you consider a legend of golf and why? Dustin Johnson: Obviously the success you have on and off the course as well as the way you portray yourself is huge. The legends of our game are Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson but obviously we have legends that are playing the game right now with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els. Those guys have done very well both on and off the course; they have done a lot for the game, they are good people and they give back a lot too. When you see what they have done for their communities or what they do for the kids – that also makes them a legend. Just like Ernie Els; he has done great things with his foundation. YE Yang: For me it would have to be Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and most recently Tiger Woods. More and more people have become interested in the game because of these people and they inspire youngsters to start playing with the HKGOLFER.COM
Louis Oosthuizen: Win a load more majors! The true legend that everyone looks up to is Jack Nicklaus. Eighteen majors is something that is unheard of and that’s why he’s right up there and everyone wants to replicate his achievements. Being South African I think my legend is Bobby Locke because of everything he did for golf in my country. Then of course Ernie but in golf worldwide you are always going to have Nicklaus right up there with the most majors. I would love to try and win more majors and hopefully if I can get the numbers up then I can challenge for the number one spot in the world. I’ve still got a few spots to go and it’s going to be difficult with guys like Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods in front of you but I feel it can be done. It’s obviously going HKGOLFER.COM
Clockwise from top: YE Yang, glass of Ballantine's in hand, says that Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods are his golfing legends; Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open Championship winner, says he was inspired by watching videos of Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen; the longhitting Dustin Johnson says Ernie Els deserves legendary status to take a lot of hard work but it would be a great thing for South African golfer to be able to say that they’ve been number one in the world. Dustin Johnson: I am so young so I have a lot to do to ever be considered a legend, my contribution back to my local community or the world doing anything I can do to help other people and use the influence that I have to make the world a better place. YE Yang: To become a legend in golf you definitely have to win at least a few majors in your career. Most golfing legends today have won majors but they are also great personalities who have earned the respect of others both on and off the course. When did you discover that you wanted to be a professional golfer? Dustin Johnson: I always said that I was going to be a professional golfer when I was a little kid growing up. All through high school I was like “I’m going to play on the PGA tour,” but I probably didn’t really believe it until I was in college; that’s when I really started to believe that I can do this. YE Yang: I began playing a little bit later than the other pros out there and actually started my career as a golf instructor. However, after improving my game over the next few years I then began to build a real determination to succeed as a tour pro. Louis Oosthuizen: It was probably late on in my school years that I decided to give golf a go. I did really well in those two years and ended up turning pro at the end of the second year so it turned out pretty good. For any young South African golfer coming through, Ernie Els has been a great inspiration and what he has done for golf in South Africa has been really big. I think being South African; the legend that you really think of is probably Bobby Locke and then you have Ernie coming through; they are just great guys to look up to. Coming through Ernie Els' foundation inspired me to set up my own foundation and I now share his desire to provide children with the same opportunities in the game that he gave me. It would be great in South African golf to be known as someone who tried to help the game; to get the game out there in the country and get kids playing. HK Golfer・JUL 2013
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