Johannesburg - Charl Schwartzel hasn’t finished worse than second in tournaments played in South Africa this year, and he’s entered this week’s SAA Pro-Am Invitational at Prince’s Grant Golf Club in KwaZulu-Natal.
He last played the course 10 years ago as an amateur – and won – so there’s a degree of pressure on him.
But it’s perhaps unfair to expect him to perform to that kind of level just two weeks after he got married, and he really is using the tournament to hone his game again ahead of a last push on the European Tour ahead of the Race to Dubai finale in November.
That said, he’s a competitor and won’t stand back as he hones his game ahead of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship from October 7 and the Portugal Masters the following week.
“There’s nothing like playing at home,” he said, “and I always look forward to it.” He showed that with back-to-back wins in the Africa Open and the Joburg Open in January, streaking out to a lead in the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit that is almost insurmountable – it will take someone winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship and SA Open back-to-back in December to reel him in, and that presupposes he will miss the cut in both! “I’m aware of my position in the Order of Merit, and I try not to think too much about it,” said Schwartzel, who has won it three times already, and the probable fourth will set him off in pursuit of Mark McNulty’s incredible record of eight Order of Merit titles.
“It would be nice to be part of some history book,” he said, “and it’s good to know that the Alfred Dunhill Championship is one of my favourite tournaments, and I’m happy that the SA Open is in Durban,” he said.
For now, though, it’s about the course north of Durban: “I can remember about 13 of the holes,” he said, “and I remember that if the wind doesn’t blow, then there can be some low scoring.” He will find some strong opposition lying in wait for him. When he ventured home for the opening Vodacom Business Origins of Golf event at Gardener Ross in April, he was hunted down by a superb final-round 62 by Jean Hugo, who has won again since then.
Jaco van Zyl is in imposing form after his fourth victory of the year last week, and defending champion Adilson Da Silva is in great form after his win in the Zambia Open and will be playing on a course that is pretty much home turf.
“I’d like to get some form back,” said Schwartzel, “and anything else would be a bonus.”