Charl

Schwartzel

The South African has a pair of top 10s in his last five stroke-play events but settled for a T60 last week in Tulsa. The recent top-heavy finishes are encouraging but he still has a lot of work to do, currently just 152nd in the FedExCup race. Gamers should remove him from all weekly lineups at Colonial CC but certainly be willing to reinvest in upcoming events, considering his recent return to form.

The South African, who outpaced one bogey with six birdies on Sunday, was making his seventh appearance and bags his third top 10, second straight after a T3 here last year, where he was in the top 10 after every round. He improves to 6-for-14 on the season with two top 10s, joining a T10 at the 86th Masters four starts ago as the 2011 Masters champion, and is in the field for this coming week’s PGA Championship in Tulsa as an alternate. The 37-year-old posted laps of 66-65-68-67, totaled one eagle and 28 birdies versus eight bogeys, and is currently T1 in total birdies and 1st SG: Around (4.481), but 52nd in SG: Putting (-0.316), losing ground with the flat stick in rounds 2, 3 and 4 (-0.399).

The 2011 Masters champion got into next week’s PGA Championship as an alternate when defender Phil Mickelson withdrew, so he no longer needs a win this week to get in. That said, he’s still firmly in the hunt at TPC Craig Ranch, and will be in the third-to-last threesome on Sunday with Ryan Palmer and rookie Davis Riley. Thru 54 holes, the South African has tallied one eagle and 22 birdies, T1 in total birdies, against seven bogeys, and ranks 3rd SG: Tee-to-Green (8.742), buoyed by a 2nd-place ranking ARG (4.108), but a lowly 58th in SG: Putting (0.083), losing strokes with the flat stick in Rounds 2 (-0.848) and 3 (-0.674). He owns two TOUR victories in 246 events, both come-from-behind varieties, the 2016 Valspar 118 starts ago, where he was solo 8th (five back), shot 4-under 67 and prevailed in a 2-man playoff, and the 2011 Masters as a first-time TOUR member, where he was T2 (four back) and shot 6-under 66 to win by two. Mickelson, who won his sixth major title at last year’s PGA at Kiawah Island, becoming the oldest player to win a major at age 50, has not competed anywhere since T18 at the Saudi Int’l on the Asian Tour 14 weeks ago (Feb. 3-6), and has not issued a public statement since a Feb 22nd tweet on his personal twitter account.

Schwartzel put on a ball-striking clinic today as he pelted 17 greens in regulation en route to gaining 1.1 strokes off-the-tee and another 2.4 strokes on approach. By day’s end, he gave himself nine scoring chances from inside of 13 feet. He also plopped home a bonus birdie when he holed out for eagle from the greenside bunker at the par-4 14th. At press time, he ranks 1st int he field in strokes gained tee-to-green (+7.226). Schwartzel didn’t arrive with much form in his favor this season but certainly likes the layout at TPC Craig Ranch. “Some familiarity to me with some of the courses I played back in South Africa. I don’t feel claustrophobic off the tee, it gives me a bit of space, and once I can get it in play iron play is not much of a problem. So just really comfortable.” He posted a T3 finish here last year.

The 2011 Masters champion is not exempt into next week’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills, second alternate as of now, but the PGA of America is reserving one final spot for this week’s winner, if not already exempt. He’s off to a cracking start with an eight-birdie two-bogey effort today, just one swing shy of last year’s 65 in R1 (preferred lies) en route to a T3, where he was in the top 10 after each round (65-68-66-68). On seven (of 14) fairways and 12 greens in regulation, the South African lost 0.089 strokes on approach, but gained 1.096 off-the-tee, 1.593 around and 1.605 on-the-green, lowlighted by a 3-putt bogey at 12 (from 52'0") but highlighted by a birdie-bomb at 13 from 64'3" (video link below).

The South African impressed last month with a T10 at the Masters but that remains his lone top 25 of the season, in 13 events played. It’s hard to find any other bright spots as he ranks 197th in strokes gained tee-to-green and 209th in putting. Schwartzel might be able to fill up the confidence tank just a bit if he remembers last year’s appearance at TPC Craig Ranch. He posted rounds of 65-68-66-68 to secure a T3 finish alongside three others.

The 2011 winner (in his second appearance) made birdie today from the right trees at the 72nd hole to claw back into the top 10. It’s his third top 10 in the tournament proper in 13 visits, and his sixth in 55 overall majors, first since solo 3rd here in 2017 14 major starts ago. The South African, who checked in off six consecutive missed cuts, signed for laps of 72-69-73-74, tallied one eagle and 11 birdies versus 13 bogeys, and found 39/56 fairways (70 percent), 48/72 greens in regulation (67 percent), and recorded 1.68 putts per GIR with four, 3-putts. Out of the third-to-last pairing on Sunday, he was birdie-less 4-over thru 16 (4 bogeys) before wrapping in style with back-to-back 3’s, both from 17 feet. The South Florida resident is in the published field at this coming week’s RBC Heritage. See link below to post-tournament comments.

The South African, who’s in on 2-under 214 (72-69-73) and arrived this week off six consecutive missed cuts, won the 2011 Masters in his 17th major and second Masters, where he came from four back (T2) with 6-under 66 to win by two. His most recent TOUR title in 242 career events came 114 starts ago at the 2016 Valspar, where he came from five back (8th) with 4-under 67 before prevailing in a 2-man playoff over 54-hole leader Bill Haas. Today, the 37-year-old landed nine (of 14) fairways and 13 greens in regulation, highlighted by a hole-out 2 at the par-4 10th from 136 yards away, but followed that with squares at 11, 14, 16 and 17. The flat stick was the culprit for backing up, primarily on the second nine, including 3-putt bogeys at 16 (from 10 feet) and another at 17 from 58 feet. Afterward (link below): “It wasn’t easy. I thought I played exceptionally well. Just had a poor day with the putter. Normally in the cold I struggle, and today I played beautifully. So just a bad day with the putter.” Tomorrow, the South Florida resident will be in the third-to-last pairing with another South Florida resident and fellow major champion Justin Thomas.

The 37-year-old Schwartzel, who’s playing in this 13th Masters, made two bogeys and five birdies in windy conditions, and told media afterward that it was about “minimizing how bad the mistake is going to be.” “Everybody is going to make a mistake, so knowing the course well, if you do miss a shot, it’s how do you limit that?” said the two-time Tour winner, who had missed six straight cuts coming into the week at Augusta National. Schwartzel admitted he’s been working on his swing all season, noting, “I haven’t felt like I’ve played as badly as my results, though. I tried to tighten the swing up a little bit. Get the hands a little more passive. Hands were a little too active. I must be honest. These two rounds are one of the two best ball-striking rounds I’ve had in a very long time.” On Friday, Schwartzel hit 12-of-18 greens and 10-of-14 fairways. In 12 previous Masters starts, he’s made eight cuts with two top 10s, including his 2011 win and a solo third in 2017.