Schwartzel leads by five but says he still doesn’t feel safe
Memories of 2014 haunt pacesetter
CHARL Schwartzel yesterday showed the fire of a desperado wanting to win his maiden South African Open crown as he started the third round with a birdie blitzkrieg.
He raced through the first four holes of the tricky Glendower layout in four-under par en route to a six-under-par 66, which pushed him to 13-under overall for a lead of five shots.
You would think that’s a safe margin, but Schwartzel hasn’t forgotten that in the final round here a year ago he was leading by three shots when disaster struck on the parthree sixth hole.
“I’d much rather be where I am than the guy behind me,” he said. “Five shots sounds a lot but I know I still have to play well. I’ve got to go out there and keep trying to swing the club and trying to roll in a few putts.”
The rough around this course in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, has culled plenty of golfers this week, including overnight leader Andy Sullivan of England.
He played in the same pairing as Schwartzel but his performance was almost the complete opposite of the South African’s.
Where Schwartzel carded four birdies on the opening holes, he suffered four bogeys, though he managed to reduce the deficit to walk off with a two-over 74, seven strokes off the pace.
Schwartzel, winner of the 2011 US Masters, believes he can’t afford to be conservative today.
“This golf course can catch you, even if you try play protected. I don’t think I can change the game plan. The fairways are so narrow it’s almost as hard to hit it with a two-iron as it is with my driver.
“Most of the time I think I’ll stay aggressive, depending on the wind conditions. If I have a good driving day, I think it will be difficult for the guys.”
Schwartzel is one of SA’s major winners but unlike Gary Player, Bobby Locke, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman, he’s never won this event.
“Any tournament you haven’t won before gives you a little extra motivation to get your name on another trophy. And on top of it, being your national open, makes me want it more.”
Schwartzel’s nearest rivals are David Drysdale of Scotland and young Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick, a former US amateur champion and world No 1 amateur being touted as the next Rory McIlroy.
Just 20, Fitzpatrick admitted he was feeling the pressure of expectation and insisted he would try to focus on his game.
“I can’t say I’ve been in this position before, to be fair, but in all honesty, I just want to try to keep doing what I’ve been doing so far,” said the rookie, who scored 30 on the back nine after carding 37 on the outward nine.
Schwartzel nailed his first birdie by rolling in a monster putt of 15m and that set the tone for much of his round.
“I don’t think I could have asked for a much better start today. The field was pretty bunched up and to get a start like that is pretty much what you would have liked to try separate yourself.”
There was one brief stretch where Schwartzel’s game threatened to go south, on the par-four seventh and par-five eighth holes.
When he overcooked his chip out the rough on seven, Schwartzel showed his frustration by hitting at the kikuyu grass with his club in disgust.
On the eighth, he pushed his approach to the right of the green, but a good up-and-down gave him birdie No 5.
He turned in 31 after another birdie on the ninth but the going got a little tougher on the back nine, where he went around in 35 strokes after missing more fairways.
But overall he was happy with his swing.
“I think I played better golf swing-wise. Two or three years ago when I was winning, I was really swinging the club well, but I’ll definitely take the swing I’ve got now, considering a couple of months ago I didn’t feel like I had anything.”
In fourth place is England’s Lee Slattery, who fired the best round of the week so far, a seven-under 65.