Schwartzel hoping for another special Masters amid SA challenge at Augusta

Charl Schwartzel was the last South African to win the coveted Green Jacket at the Masters and the 41-year-old, who tees off Thursday in the first of the four majors on golf’s annual calendar, believes he is ready to challenge again this year.

Schwartzel famously birdied the last four holes in 2011 to overcome a four-shot deficit to win by two from the Australian duo Jason Day and Adam Scott. That victory ensured a life-long invitation for Schwartzel to participate in the only major that is always played on the same course.

Since finishing third six years after winning the tournament at Augusta National Golf Course, Schwartzel has never really challenged, with a 10th-place finish in 2022 being the only other time he managed to make the top 10.

The Johannesburg-born player is confident, though, he can mount a challenge this time.

He posted on his social media, “‘Welcome to the Masters’ — my favourite sentence of all time. Ready for another special week in Augusta, Georgia,” and said he was “subtly optimistic about it”.

“This year is the first year in a long time where I’ve thought there’s a chance.

“Every year you go back, you realise just how special Augusta is. When you’re younger, you’re focused on performing, but as you get older, you gain a real appreciation for what it means to be there. It’s a privilege to return every year.”

Schwartzel, who has an early tee-off time of 8.26am Augusta time on Thursday, is one of three South Africans in the 91-man field.

There are 21 pathways into the Masters, with one of them being victory at the SA Open, which is why Casey Jarvis will be competing in Augusta for the first time.

The 22-year-old, who won the Kenyan Open in the week before his victory in Stellenbosch, is currently South Africa’s top-ranked golfer. He is ranked 60th in the world and is clearly in good form.

After playing his first practice round, Jarvis said it had been a dream come true. “Honestly it was one of the best experiences. I also got to play with Matt Fitzpatrick, who’s been playing unreal golf, so that made it even better. I’ve got to rank it first [in golfing experiences].

“The back nine was brutal but also super cool. It exceeded expectations. Watching it on TV and then being here, honestly everything is surreal to me at the moment.”

The third South African at the Masters is Aldrich Potgieter, who will be making his second appearance in the prestigious event. In 2023 the 21-year-old competed as an amateur and failed to make the cut after rounds of 77 and 74.

Since then, though, he has firmly established himself among the professionals and he was voted as the PGA Rookie of the Year in 2025. That year he also picked up his first PGA Tour victory, earning him the right to play at the Masters.

I feel so much more relaxed. I know I’m going to be coming back here for a lot of years, going to enjoy the perks that the champions get here.

—  Rory McIlroy

Potgieter will be looking to be make the cut this time. “Each time I play a major, I get better.”

None of the three South Africans is among the top favourites. That prestige belongs to the likes of Scottie Scheffler, defending champion Rory McIlroy and the LIV duo of Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

For McIlroy, who had the four-shot lead on Schwartzel in 2011 and then famously blew it with an 80, said on Tuesday a weight was off his shoulders after his epic and historic 2025 Augusta win to complete his career grand slam. Looking relaxed and joking with the press, the Irishman said it’s completely different going into this year’s competition.

“I feel so much more relaxed. I know I’m going to be coming back here for a lot of years, going to enjoy the perks that the champions get here. It doesn’t make me any less motivated to go out there and play well and try to win the tournament, but yeah, just more relaxed about it all.”

Absent from Augusta this year are four-time champion Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who has won three times. Woods decided to take a break from golf after being arrested on a DUI at the end of March, while Mickelson is dealing with a family matter.

TimesLIVE