Open star Christiaan Bezuidenhout was minutes from death when he accidentally drank RAT POISON at the age of two

NOT many punters tipped Christiaan Bezuidenhout for The Open, but the South African is used to beating the odds.

Bezuidenhout, 31, was left fighting for his life when he accidentally drank RAT POISON at the age of two.

Shutterstock EditorialChristiaan Bezuidenhout is an unlikely challenger for The Open[/caption]

GettyChristiaan Bezuidenhout tees off on the sixth hole[/caption]

He somehow survived but was left with a stutter and a damaged nervous system that required years on prescription drugs.

Bezuidenhout also had to overcome bullying as he defied expectations to become one of the brightest golfing prospects.

And he is in the mix for the greatest prize in golf with an opening round of 67 in the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.

Bezuidenhout was a toddler when he took a swig from a bottle he found on the street which he thought contained Coca-Cola – but the drink had been replaced by poison.

He said “There was a two-litre Coke bottle standing there with rat poison in it.

“Somehow I managed to open it and took a sip.

“At the hospital they basically told my parents we got there just in time. It was a matter of minutes.’

The terrible accident left him with a range of health issues including a crippling stammer.

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Bezuidenhout said: “I almost died.

“The poison affected the whole nervous system, and one of the long-term effects led to me having a stutter.

“I was diagnosed with anxiety when I was four. This led to me becoming very introverted and depressed.

“I went on to see various speech therapists. I was pretty much a loner growing up, most of the time I was just doing my own thing every day. 

“A good few times people made fun of it, thought it all was funny. It wasn’t smooth sailing.”

Golf became his escape from the bullies, a place where he could be alone on the course. 

Bezuidenhout developed into a fine young player but when he won trophies, he ducked out of the prize giving ceremonies because of his speech impediment.

He said; “I was always a loner, practised on my own. I took myself away from people and places with people there. Golf was like an escape from my circumstances.

“Most of the people in South Africa knew my situation so most of the time when I won junior tournaments, I just didn’t speak. I got my trophy and left.”

And he was later banned from golf for nine months for taking drugs to combat his stutter – before “slowly” gaining confidence in the last few years.

His fine amateur career was hamstrung during a visit to Portrush in 2014 for the British Amateur Championship.

Bezuidenhout tested positive for prescribed beta blockers which he was taking to combat the after effects of his horrible accident as a child.

He was banned for two years but the suspension was later reduced to nine months. 

Bezuidenhout received the news just as he was about to represent South Africa at the World Amateur Team Championship.

He was heartbroken, saying: “It was awful. It was a huge goal of mine to be selected to the team. It felt like my life was over.”

However the ban proved to be the making of him. 

He said: “I actually just accepted it

GettyChristiaan Bezuidenhout hits his opening drive on day two[/caption]

“This is who I am and if you don’t like it then so be it. 

“That was like a mind switch for me. There was quite a lot of negativity and people talking about me taking medication to get an advantage or improve my game. 

“I was determined to show those people that I can play well without that. I took those nine months and worked really hard then came back stronger.”

Bezuidenhout turned professional in 2015 and has won ten tournaments since then including the South African Open.

Victory at Royal Portrush would cap a remarkable comeback from his horror childhood accident.

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