Malelane – Charl Schwartzel played Seve Ballesteros golf on Saturday. Some call it soldiers’ golf: left, right, left, right. Left into bunkers, right into rough, left nearly into a crocodile-infested water hazard, right into more sand. That kind of golf. Wild golf. On a wild golf course.
But, like the great Ballesteros, who would win many tournaments with his astonishing powers of recovery in spite of his anything-but-straight-down-the-middle golf, there was a touch of Seve in Schwartzel yesterday as he somehow held on to his overnight lead in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.
Schwartzel started the day with what appeared to be a healthy five-stroke lead on 11-under-par 133 in his chase for a record fourth title in this tournament, the opening event in the European Tour’s 2016 Race to Dubai.
But by midday France’s Sebastien Gros, after a whirlwind morning round of 63 that included nine birdies, had caught the South African after Charl bogeyed the opening hole of his afternoon round. That had them level-pegging at the top of the leaderboard on 10-under.
For the rest of the day finding the fairway was a rare luxury for the 2011 Masters champion but, credit to him, he made a string of quite remarkable par-saves from all the trouble he was in. Once the last putt had dropped Schwartzel was able to sign for a two-under-par 70 for 203 and he leads by three from Gros and another Frenchman, Benjamin Hebert, going into today’s final round.
TV commentator Jay Townsend, the former American tour player, had a good line when Schwartzel faced a lightning fast 60-foot downhill putt, with a double break, for birdie at the par-4 14th – the long putt the result of the player having bunkered his tee-shot, meaning he had to play safe with his approach over the water that fronts the green.
Townsend asked well-read fellow commentator Denis Hutchinson if he knew about James Joyce’s epic novel Ulysses. “Hutch” replied that he did and said it was a “very difficult read”, to which Townsend replied: “Well, that’s what Charl has got here.”
Schwartzel, though, negotiated his own difficult read with a well-judged two-putt to save yet another par. “I can’t figure it out,” the golfer said. “I played so well the first two days, but today I didn’t know where the ball was going. It’s bizarre. I felt so uncomfortable out there but at least I managed to avoid a big number and I’m still in the hunt.”
It is Gros’ first tournament as a European Tour card-holder, and it’s also his first visit to Leopard Creek which teems with wildlife and is located right next door to the Kruger Park.
Of his fabulous 63 he said: “It was just one of those days when I was feeling good on the greens. I was knocking in putts from everywhere,” added Gros who has won twice on the Challenge Tour. “The Challenge Tour is like university. Now I’m out of it and going for the real job and so far so good.”
The Frenchman was amazed to see elephants behind the Leopard Creek clubhouse. “It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s like you’re in a zoo, but it’s a natural zoo.”
South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli is lying fourth on 208 after a 68 going into today’s final round and the chase for the R3,5-million winner’s cheque. One back of him is France’s Gregory Bourdy (67 yesterday), Dutchman Joost Luiten (67), Dane Lasse Jensen and Scot David Drysdale (69).
After just surviving the cut on level par 144 for the first 36 holes, South Africa’s defending champion Branden Grace made up plenty of ground yesterday with a 66 and he now lies in a share of ninth on six-under 200.