Remember when SA were a Major force?

The goods news is, South Africa have won the most Major golf titles – behind only the United States – since World War II. The bad news is, Uncle Sam’s boys have now snatched 14 big ones since Ernie Els annexed South Africa’s last piece of Major silverware at the Open in 2012.

And it gets worse, the six-year Major drought we find ourselves in is officially South Africa’s second longest dry spell since Bobby Locke opened Mzansi’s account with the Claret Jug in 1949, only topped by the excruciating 16 years between Gary Player’s last Major win in 1978 and Els’ maiden triumph in 1994.

But instead of adding to our legacy over the last six years, we’ve had to endure numerous American chaps announce themselves as multiple Major champs like Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka, Henrik Stenson making history by becoming the first Nordic Major champ and even had Francesco Molinari come out of nowhere to win Italy’s biggest golf prize ever.

And to rub salt into our wounds we’ve even had to sit through two Englishmen in Danny Willett and Justin Rose cashing in as well as enduring the frustration of seeing an Australian pair Adam Scott and Jason Day coming out trumps.

We’ve even had Rory McIlroy finally fulfilling his potential by going from the next best thing to four Major wins and then slipping back into the ever-growing chasing pack of healthy boys with chiselled biceps who drive the ball a mile, all in the space of what has become a very long six years.

And yet it could have been so different for this proud golfing nation since 2012. As the Americans are going gaga this week over Koepka after capturing his third Major crown at the weekend, I can’t help to think of the numerous “what ifs” in Louis Oosthuizen’s career.

The friendly fellow from Mossel Bay could have been comfortably sharing Koepka and Spieth’s stardom with three Major titles. But alas, a solitary Open title in 2010 remains the biggest prize on his CV and until he adds to that, will in all probability never earn the respect he deserves outside our borders.

In 2012 Oosthuizen was outdone by a miracle shot from Bubba Watson in a play-off for the Masters title and three years later he could have won two Majors in the space of four weeks as firstly he came up short by one shot to lose to Spieth at the US Open and then was pipped by Zach Johnson in a three-man play-off for the Open title, which also included Aussie Marc Leishmann.

Even Branden Grace, tipped by many to be our next Major champ, was in serious contention at the US Open at Chambers Bay in 2015 until he hit a drive out of bounds late on the back nine.

And I refuse to accept that Charl Schwartzel can’t add to the green jacket he won back in 2011. Being considered a one-hit wonder is one thing but having to share that tag with guys like Ian Baker-Finch, Mike Weir and Rich Beem is just plain embarrassing and that alone should be enough motivation to win another one.

But beggars can’t be choosers and if it requires another Saffer to become a one-hit wonder in order to break our duck, so be it. That’s still way better than any Aussie.