Masters champion Charl Schwartzel is a low-key guy. Perhaps that’s why he has been overlooked as he prepares to defend his major triumph next week.
For the South African, it may help in his preparation for a second consecutive green jacket.
‘In a way, you feel you’re being overlooked and you can work under the radar,’ Schwartzel said Wednesday at the Shell Houston Open. ‘All the other guys, they apply a lot of pressure on them, and you can go about your business the way you normally would and catch them off guard.’
Schwartzel explained the air of calm he seems to constantly exude is what carried him to birdie the final four holes of the tournament and win the Masters.
'[T]he whole week I felt very, very calm and very within myself, and coming down the stretch, it didn’t change. And I think that just allowed me to hit some really good shots and make the putts and lead to an exciting finish,’ he said.
In the champions’ locker room, Schwartzel now shares a place with excitement personified - the late Seve Ballesteros.
Were that not inspirational enough, that first Champions Dinner will be the experience of a lifetime.
‘It will probably be the best evening ever (of) my life, but not quite sure what to expect,’ he said.