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Schwartzel heads SA contingent
30/04/2008 14:09 - (SA)
Cape Town - Defending champion Charl Schwartzel has enjoyed many of his better performances in Spain and Portugal; in fact, four of his last five trips to Iberia have yielded top-10 finishes.
With the feel-good factor sweeping through South African golf since Trevor Immelman donned the Green Jacket at the Masters three weeks ago, the clever money is on Schwartzel, who heads to the Real Club de Golf de Sevilla for this week's Open de Espana on the back of three top-10s this season.
In a turnaround of events, the 23-year old South African moved into contention on the last day at the Centro Nacional de Golf on the outskirts of Madrid.
He set up a 15-foot eagle putt at the 16th with a spectacular three-iron shot he blasted more than 230 yards into the wind and rounded off the formalities with solid play for a five-under-par 67 to beat Jyoti Randhawa by a stroke for his second European Tour victory.
The talented young gun from Maccauvlei, who broke into the winner's circle at the 2005 Alfred Dunhill Championship, moved into the world top-50 with this win, but adjusting to new equipment since December saw him slip a little in status.
After a tie for 14th at the Joburg Open, Schwartzel started the long climb back and, after a third place finish at the Qatar Masters, he added ties for sixth and seventh at the Malaysian Open and Open de Portugal respectively to show he is back to impressive form.
If the recently qualified pilot can slip into the winner's circle on Sunday, he will become the first player since Max Faulkner (1952 and 1953) to successfully defend the title of one of the oldest continental Opens, first played in 1912.
Schwartzel defends his title against a field that includes home favourite Miguel Angel Jimenez, eight-time Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie; Thomas Levet, who has his eyes set on a Spanish double, and American John Daly, winner of two Major Championships.
Andrew McLardy, Alan McLean, Hennie Otto, Doug McGuigan, Anton Haig and European Tour rookies Thomas Aiken, Ulrich van den Berg and James Kamte complete the South African line-up.
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