South African Charl Schwartzel stormed his way to an eighth Tour success on home soil with an eight shot victory in the Tshwane Open to claim his second title of the season.
Schwartzel, competing in his first event of the New Year, posted a seven-under-par 63 winning with ease at 16 under and clinch an 11th Tour tile and an eighth European Tour win on South African soil.
Denmark’s Jeff Winther finished second on eight under, with Anthony Michael another two shots further back in third.
Schwartzel, who began the day with a slender one-shot advantage, moved to ten under par when he rolled in his birdie putt from 15 feet at the second.
Charl Schwartzel starts his New Year with an 11th Tour victory and an eighth on home soil. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)
Despite dropping a shot at the third, the 2011 Masters Champion was four strokes ahead of nearest challenger Zander Lombard at the turn after following up consecutive birdies at the sixth and seventh with an eagle at the ninth to reach the turn in 31.
The 31 year old briefly held a five-shot advantage when Lombard dropped a shot at the tenth, but a second bogey of the day at the 11th saw Schwartzel fall back to 12 under.
But he bounced back in style, picking up a shot at the 12th before holing his 40 foot birdie putt from the back of the 14th green to move to 14 under.
Schwartzel rolled in a tricky putt to save par at the 15th before carding another brilliant birdie at the 16th to reach 15 under.
The South African safely parred the 17th before sinking his birdie putt from five feet at the 18th to win by eight shots.
Schwartzel was delighted with his putting in the final round. He said: “In the first three rounds I gave myself so many chances. If I had the stroke I had today, it probably would have been my best tournament ever.
“It’s felt like I’ve been playing really, really well this week – Charl Schwartzel
“It’s just frustrating when you don’t putt very well and you don’t convert, and to make the putts when it counts, that’s even more satisfying.
“Everything is sort of falling into place. I’ve worked really hard leading up to this and it’s just been feeling good, so everything has got some really good signs, so I’m excited.”
Winther had set the early clubhouse target after mixing seven birdies with a solitary bogey on his way to a six-under-par 64.
Starting the day seven shots off the overnight lead, Winther covered the front nine in 30 before dropping a shot at the 12th.
But Winther finished the weekend in style, firing birdies at the 13th and 16th to finish on eight under.
- Thanks to www.europeantour.com
