VEREENIGING, South Africa, May 4 (Reuters) - Charl Schwartzel's U.S. Masters triumph last month was widely regarded as a surprise but not by the South African himself.
Schwartzel held his nerve to seal his first major title with a final round of 66 at Augusta, beating a host of big names to claim the green jacket.
"For a foreigner to win in the U.S. is always a surprise for the Americans," he told Reuters. "It's fair that they are loyal supporters and only watch their own players, but I was already quite high in the world rankings going into the Masters and in my mind I knew I was good enough to win.
"If they had been following my career from the start, they wouldn't have been surprised, I've won more tournaments in Europe than most golfers my age," Schwartzel said.
Schwartzel's victory charge was lit up by birdies on the last four holes but he said his win owed more to keeping out of trouble.
"It took a lot of very good preparation and advice from players like Ernie Els and Retief Goosen," he said. "The more you play at Augusta, the more you learn to hit the ball in the right places on the green.
"In your head, you have to know exactly what the course looks like, you need to have a picture in your head. I was also better prepared for the speed of the greens, I was practising very fast putts from long before. I think I was number one in putting and that made the difference.
"I also didn't have a bogey after the fourth hole. People always talk about my four birdies down the stretch, but keeping bogeys off my card is what laid the foundation because 10, 11 and 12 are seriously bogeyable."
Schwartzel played a round at his home course, the Maccauvelei Golf Club, on Wednesday and quickly wore out another marker pen.
"It's the first thing I put in my pocket these days," Schwartzel said shortly before the pen ran out of ink after signing a stream of caps, posters and shirts.
An hour's drive south of Johannesburg and nestled on the banks of the Vaal River with parkland trees displaying their brightest autumn leaves, the course is a tranquil escape for a player still coming to terms with being Masters champion.
"A lot of people want your time and I haven't learnt yet to say no," Schwartzel said. "You never know how big it's going to be until you've done it, even though I sort of had an idea after seeing Louis Oosthuizen do it last year at the Open.
"But it's what I've always worked for, winning a major and competing with the very best, and if it is the price I have to pay, then I'm prepared to deal with it. I just need to manage my time better. My biggest fear is neglecting my golf. It's what got me here and I'll never do anything that stops me giving my game the attention it needs," Schwartzel said.
GREAT COMPOSURE
Schwartzel showed great composure under extreme pressure on the final day at Augusta and he said it was his previous win, the Joburg Open in January, which had given him the belief he needed.
"Jack Nicklaus said you need to win with your B game because you won't always have your A game. I was able to do that at the Joburg Open, I learnt how to play well when I'm playing badly.
"It was the worst I had played in a year, but my short game was very good because I had the mental strength to believe I would get it up and down. That win was very important, I used it a lot in the Masters."
The world number 12, who plays in the Players Championship at Sawgrass next week, is confident of adding to his maiden major title when he tees it up at the U.S. Open from June 16-19.
"The U.S. Open is another of the majors I always think I can play well at. I love tough courses, squeezing out pars. If you make the pars, then you win when it comes to U.S. Opens.
"In a way, winning the second one will be easier. I thrive on doing what I've done in the past, I use it as a confidence-boost, just like I used my previous victories to win the Masters. When I'm in contention again, I'll have that experience to go on.
"And if I win another major, then maybe I can upgrade my plane to a jet. At the moment I can just afford the one wing," the qualified pilot joked.
Schwartzel held his nerve to seal his first major title with a final round of 66 at Augusta, beating a host of big names to claim the green jacket.
"For a foreigner to win in the U.S. is always a surprise for the Americans," he told Reuters. "It's fair that they are loyal supporters and only watch their own players, but I was already quite high in the world rankings going into the Masters and in my mind I knew I was good enough to win.
"If they had been following my career from the start, they wouldn't have been surprised, I've won more tournaments in Europe than most golfers my age," Schwartzel said.
Schwartzel's victory charge was lit up by birdies on the last four holes but he said his win owed more to keeping out of trouble.
"It took a lot of very good preparation and advice from players like Ernie Els and Retief Goosen," he said. "The more you play at Augusta, the more you learn to hit the ball in the right places on the green.
"In your head, you have to know exactly what the course looks like, you need to have a picture in your head. I was also better prepared for the speed of the greens, I was practising very fast putts from long before. I think I was number one in putting and that made the difference.
"I also didn't have a bogey after the fourth hole. People always talk about my four birdies down the stretch, but keeping bogeys off my card is what laid the foundation because 10, 11 and 12 are seriously bogeyable."
Schwartzel played a round at his home course, the Maccauvelei Golf Club, on Wednesday and quickly wore out another marker pen.
"It's the first thing I put in my pocket these days," Schwartzel said shortly before the pen ran out of ink after signing a stream of caps, posters and shirts.
An hour's drive south of Johannesburg and nestled on the banks of the Vaal River with parkland trees displaying their brightest autumn leaves, the course is a tranquil escape for a player still coming to terms with being Masters champion.
"A lot of people want your time and I haven't learnt yet to say no," Schwartzel said. "You never know how big it's going to be until you've done it, even though I sort of had an idea after seeing Louis Oosthuizen do it last year at the Open.
"But it's what I've always worked for, winning a major and competing with the very best, and if it is the price I have to pay, then I'm prepared to deal with it. I just need to manage my time better. My biggest fear is neglecting my golf. It's what got me here and I'll never do anything that stops me giving my game the attention it needs," Schwartzel said.
GREAT COMPOSURE
Schwartzel showed great composure under extreme pressure on the final day at Augusta and he said it was his previous win, the Joburg Open in January, which had given him the belief he needed.
"Jack Nicklaus said you need to win with your B game because you won't always have your A game. I was able to do that at the Joburg Open, I learnt how to play well when I'm playing badly.
"It was the worst I had played in a year, but my short game was very good because I had the mental strength to believe I would get it up and down. That win was very important, I used it a lot in the Masters."
The world number 12, who plays in the Players Championship at Sawgrass next week, is confident of adding to his maiden major title when he tees it up at the U.S. Open from June 16-19.
"The U.S. Open is another of the majors I always think I can play well at. I love tough courses, squeezing out pars. If you make the pars, then you win when it comes to U.S. Opens.
"In a way, winning the second one will be easier. I thrive on doing what I've done in the past, I use it as a confidence-boost, just like I used my previous victories to win the Masters. When I'm in contention again, I'll have that experience to go on.
"And if I win another major, then maybe I can upgrade my plane to a jet. At the moment I can just afford the one wing," the qualified pilot joked.
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