Johannesburg – Charl Schwartzel has won 13 times around the world, including 10 European Tour titles and the 2011 Masters.
And, although he wasn’t at his best for much of 2015, he now seems to be hitting the ball just as well as that famous day at Augusta National when he birdied the final four holes in sensational fashion to lift the coveted Green Jacket.
And the 31-year-old has certainly looked like a Major champion again at Pretoria Country Club through 54 holes of the R18,5million Tshwane Open which he leads by one on nine-under-par 201 following rounds of 71, 64 and, yesterday, a 66.
Hot on his heels on 202 is 21-year-old Zander Lombard from nearby Woodhill Country Club who blitzed the tricky par-70 Pretoria Country Club course yesterday with a seven-under-par 63. And tied for third on 204, three back of the lead, are second round pace-setter Anthony Michael (71 yesterday) from Randpark and Modderfontein’s Haydn Porteous, who won the Joburg Open last month and posted 67 here on a sultry Saturday in spite of a triple-bogey seven at the par-4 seventh hole.
“On Friday, shooting that 64, I hit the ball as well as I ever have and it felt no different in today’s 66, which shows the consistency is there,” said Schwartzel, who won the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek last year but fell ill at Christmas and has been recuperating and then practising hard since then, with the Tshwane Open his first tournament back after the break.
He has been working with renowned “Eye Doctor” Sherylle Calder, who is helping him primarily with his putting. She was behind the ropes yesterday and saw her “patient” roll in some good putts at No2 for birdie, No9 for eagle, and No12 for birdie.
“I hit drive, six iron to about eight feet at the ninth and making eagle always brings a smile to your face,” Schwartzel grinned in his post-round interview.
Lombard’s 63 was an indication of just how talented this young professional is. Late last year he finished fourth in the Australian PGA and he was runner-up behind Porteous in the Joburg Open soon after that.
His round yesterday was bogey-free with five birdies and an eagle and, remarkably, came just days after he was hospitalised for a nasty bite from a highly venomous violin spider.
“I was treated and given antibiotics but in Thursday’s first round I was still in pain and couldn’t get through the ball properly. But it was much better today. I’ve played this course a million times and you have to know where to hit the ball or else you can get into big trouble. I managed to put it in the right places today and I’m looking forward to playing alongside Charl in the final group, as he’s been one of my all-time golfing heroes.”
Lombard watched his golfing buddies of similar age win European Tour events in January – Porteous in the Joburg Open and Brandon Stone in the South African Open – and said: “Hopefully it’s now my turn if I can control my thoughts and let my shots do the talking tomorrow.”
Porteous mixed six well-executed birdies with his triple-bogey – “I got into trouble off the tee, then found water,” he said by way of explanation for the seven, before bogeying the 18th which has been switched from a par-5 to a par-4 just for this tournament.
“I don’t know why they did that,” said Schwartzel, who also dropped a shot there. “It’s a genuine par-5. It’s silly to make it a par-4.”
Porteous said he wasn’t going to let the seven spoil his round, and bounced back with four birdies in the next seven holes – an indication of his fighting qualities.
Michael, who has never won on tour, said he was nervous and excited at the start of the round but was pleased to make a good up-and-down to save par at the first and birdie the second. “Okay, I shot one over today but there was a tricky breeze out there making things difficult and, being only three off the pace, I haven’t thrown myself out of the tournament.”
England’s Tony Tree, after a 65, and Dean Burmester (68) are lying in joint fifth place on 206.
Tree lived up to his name and found himself exactly where he didn’t want to be – in the woods at the 18th hole yesterday after pushing his drive out to the right.
That cost him a double-bogey six and put a dampener on what had up until then been a remarkable round in which he played the nine-hole stretch between No 4 and No12 in seven under par with eagle-threes at both the ninth and 12th holes. So a 65 could have been even better if Tree had not been cut down in the woods.
– THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT