Now that Charl Schwartzel is a household name (at least for a little) following his 2011 Masters victory, many heads are probably being scratched right now, wondering, “Who is this Schwartzel guy?” For starters, he is a 26-year-old native of Johannesburg, South Africa and turned pro in 2002 at the age of 18, playing on the European Tour.
Charl Schwartzel, 2011 Masters Winner: Who Is That, Anyway?
So, yeah, an unknown here in America, but he had six international victories before today. In 2010, he played in 11 PGA Tour events, finishing tied for 30th in the 2010 Masters. A year later, he became the third South African to win the Masters Tournament, joining Gary Player (1961, 1974, 1978) and Trevor Immelman (2008). So, you know, he’s already done better in the Masters than fellow countryman Ernie Els.
This was not Schwartzel’s first tournament victory of the year. He captured the Joburg Open in January to win it in back-to-back years. He also won the Africa Open in 2010, firing a 20-under 272 for the tournament. His first professional win came in 2004 as he took home top-prize at the Dunhill Championship, defeating Neil Cheetham in a playoff.
Schwartzel seems to rise to the occasion in majors, and has come ever-so-close before. His best finish in The Open Championship was a tie for 14th, to go along with a tie for 16th at The U.S. Open and a tie for 18th at the PGA Championship. But now, after a final round 66 on Sunday at Augusta National, he has a finish that tops them all, and a green jacket to boot.
According to the media guide portion of his PGA Tour profile, his favorite food includes filet steak. I’m pretty sure we know what kind of dinner Schwartzel will celebrate his victory with on Sunday night.
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