Who Is Louis Oosthuizen's Wife?

Louis Oosthuizen has enjoyed a stunning career with over 20 professional wins worldwide, including the 2010 Open Championship at 'The Home of Golf', St Andrews.

With a professional career spanning two decades, one individual has been by the South African's side for the whole of that period, his wife, Nel-Mare. Get to know her a little bit better in this piece.

With both growing up in South Africa, Louis first met Nel-Marie when they were youngsters. “Louis and Nel-Mare’s parents were family friends, and they visited each other often,” Almari Alberts, Nel-Mare’s sister-in-law, told the Sunday Times in 2010. “So the two of them knew each other from an early age. Louis was always taken with her."

In 2007, the couple married at NG Church in Mossel Bay, Louis’ hometown, and together they have gone on to have three children - Jana, Sophia and Emma. Jana was born in 2009, Sophia in 2012 and Emma in 2013.

According to the Sunday Times, Nel-Mare grew up on a farm called Groendel, which borders the Orange River in the Northern Cape. The closest city is Bloemfontein which is nearly 400 kilometres away. Louis also grew up on a farm, with the Major champion stating he came from “humble beginnings."

Nel-Mare's name is actually a combination of a traditional Dutch surname and her maiden name - Nel is a shortened version of Cornelia and, according to Ancestry.com, Mare is a nickname from the Germanic word mari or meri, which translates to “famous” or “renowned.” It is typically used as “de Mare,” meaning she was previously Nel de Mare.

She then combined her surname and maiden name using a hyphen to separate them. This is a normal practice in Dutch and Afrikaans culture.

After getting married, the couple moved to a farm in Texas, with the pair also owning a wine company and restaurant called Louis57, which specialises in South African wines.