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Schwartzel wins Sport24 award

Cape Town - South African golfer Charl Schwartzel won the Sport24 Performance of the Month for April.

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Schwartzel, one of SA’s brightest young talents, did the country proud with a marvellous triumph at the 2011 Masters, earning him the coveted green jacket.

Schwartzel held his nerve superbly on an enthralling final day to claim his first Major title and send bleary-eyed TV-watchers in SA off to bed elated.

Schwartzel earned 68.73% of the 1 999 votes cast while India’s Cricket World Cup-winning coach Gary Kirsten came in second with 21.50%. The gritty former Proteas opener played a massive role in the host nation winning the tournament.

He was feted all over the populous nation, who also bade him a reluctant farewell as he headed back to his more familiar stomping ground. It was an electric month for Cheetahs scrumhalf Sarel Pretorius as he played a pivotal role in some improved form and fortunes for the Super Rugby franchise, earning him third spot with 4.05% of the votes.

A regular to the Plonker of the Month category, Benni McCarthy, stumbled to another ‘victory’ with 36.52% of the votes for his suggestion that, despite being overweight and considered surplus to requirements by West Ham, he could be usefully employed as a striker coach for the national side – this from a man often castigated for “picking and choosing” his appearances for South Africa during his international career. 

In second spot (28.26%) was Cricket South Africa for their very public ongoing dispute between axed (and then legally reinstated) president Mtutuzeli Nyoka and the CSA hierarchy.

Athletics South Africa are also no strangers to the Plonker category, this time receiving 16.6% of the votes for their “mistake” in leaving up for more than two weeks an unfortunate reference – considering the longtime gender-issue furore around her – to women’s world 800m champion Caster Semenya as a man.

Voting for April’s Awards: 1999 votes cast in total

Performance of the Month:

Charl Schwartzel (68.73%)
Gary Kirsten (21.56%)
Sarel Pretorius (4.05%)
UCT Rugby (3.20%)
Burry Stander (2.20)

Plonker of the Month:

Benni McCarthy (36.52%)
Cricket South Africa (28.26%)
Athletics South Africa (16.6%)
Varsity Cup organisers (13.81%)
Ryk Neethling (4.85%)

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