Louis Oosthuizen returned from a long vacation at the $8.2 million WM Phoenix Open yesterday and showed he has suffered no ill effects from the more than 2 1/2-month layoff. Louis opened with a 4-under-par 67 over the par-71 TPC Scottsdale course and was tied for 6th when play was suspended due to darkness with several players still on the course. 

    Sahith Theegala was leading by a stroke when play was called; he was at 7 under with two holes to play. K. H. Lee was second with 6-under-65, followed at 66 by Harry Higgs, Seminole Brooks Koepka and Scott Stallings, who was also still on the course. Koepka is the defending champ, taking home a cool $1,314,000 for his one-stroke victory over Xander Schauffele, who began the final round at 18 under and was unable to advance any further. 

    Louis finished tied for 14th in the Shriners Childrens Classic in October, followed by a tie for 38th in the CJ Cup@Summit; he was 15 under in both. In his final 2021 try, he shot 69 in the first round of the RSM Classic, then was forced to withdraw due to a back injury. 

    Yesterday, Louis began with one bogey and two birdies for a front-nine 34. On the back, he birdied 10, 13 and 14 to get it to 4 under, then parred 15 and 16. On the short par-4 17th, he hit to the front of the green with a 314-yard drive, but was 105 feet from the hole. He left his first putt 26 feet, 5 inches short and two-putted from there for a par. On 18, his birdie putt of 27 feet rimmed the cup and spun out, and he finished in a big group at 67. Last year, he was in the hunt after rounds of 69-67-63, 14 under, but a final-round par 71 left him tied for 11th. 

    Gators: Billy Horschel - 67, 4 under, tied for 6th; Brian Gay - 73, 2 over. More Seminoles: Daniel Berger - 73, 2 over; Hank Lebioda - 74, 3 over. Early projected cut: minus 1. 

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