Schwartzel arrives at Augusta as a complete outsider but full of confidence for the 2025 Masters

Former Masters winner Charl Schwartzel is only 40, an age when good golfers are still competitive, as he has proven on the LIV Golf Tour. The South African has lost weight and is in a good space heading to Augusta, Georgia, for the 2025 Masters that starts at the famous links on Thursday.

It seems a lifetime ago that Schwartzel, then 26 in 2011, birdied the last four holes on Sunday to win the coveted green jacket by two strokes.

Then, it appeared the golfing world was his for the taking as the Masters was his seventh win as a pro, early in his career.

Schwartzel was, and still is, blessed with a gorgeous swing honed under his father George’s tutelage in his formative golfing years on the family’s chicken farm in Vereeniging.

All the basics — the stance, the grip, balance, rhythm and posture — were developed and sharpened under George’s keen eye. Schwartzel Sr had been a good amateur and became a decent teaching pro. His son was his greatest pupil.

But injuries leading to a draining of confidence never saw Schwartzel kick on from that heady afternoon when he overtook Rory McIlroy, who collapsed on the second nine, and then jostled with Jason Day and Adam Scott for a famous win. He became South Africa’s third Masters champion after Gary Player and Trevor Immelman.

Schwartzel remains the only player besides the great Jack Nicklaus to play the tournament’s final four holes in four-under par to win the green jacket.

No one expects Schwartzel to be in contention this week, when the world’s glare will be on defending champion Scottie Scheffler and the in-form McIlroy, who is still searching for his maiden green jacket.

But Schwartzel is happily flying under the radar at a course that generally rewards experience — something which Schwartzel has in abundance.

This will be his 16th appearance at Augusta. As recently as 2022 he made the top 10, although he will want to forget last year when he arrived out of shape, with a game that was not close to its best and missed the cut after a second round 81.

Schwartzel comes into the 2025 tournament with greater confidence in his game and his body, having finished second to Australia’s Marc Leishman at the LIV Golf Miami tournament in Florida this past weekend.

“It’s the first time in a long time I said to the guys that I actually feel very optimistic,” said Schwartzel after finishing at five-under, one-stroke behind Leishman, in the difficult, windy conditions at Doral.

“I feel quite confident about it [the Masters]. The last few years, I’ve either had injuries or the game is not in great shape. If you’re going to win a major, you don’t need any flaws of any sort.

“This year so far, I’ve put in a lot of effort in the off-season. I’ve lost more than 10 pounds, got fit and started practising harder.

“The biggest thing is I have no injuries and I’ve been swinging the club freely. It’s been good.”

Good enough to win a major? Highly unlikely, but he might be a nice little side bet for those who enjoy a wager now and then. His odds vary from 400-1 to 500-1 to win.

Harman harmony

South Africa only has three players in the field: Schwartzel, the low-key Christiaan Bezuidenhout – playing his fourth Masters – and the exciting Thriston Lawrence, who is on debut.

Bezuidenout has made the cut on his three previous appearances but has not finished higher than a tie for 38th.

Lawrence has been a regular winner on the DP World Tour and the Sunshine Tour, while his fourth-place finish at the 2024 Open is his best return at a major.

If he can handle the speed and undulations of Augusta’s testing greens, he has the game to challenge the best.

Another unlikely champion but a man with confidence and form is 2023 Open Champion Brian Harman of the US. The left-hander won the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour on Sunday, in difficult, gusty conditions, to gain a helpful dose of confidence.

“Just knowing that there’s some good golf left in there,” was Harman’s reply to what the victory in Texas meant to his chances at Augusta.

“You know, I’m 38, I’m not 25 any more. I know that I’m getting a little greyer, so you start looking at like, man, how many more chances do I have at Augusta, how many more chances do I have at a US Open, and all the things that you want to do.

“Just knowing I can come out here in tough conditions and play well as an older veteran on Tour makes me feel good about next week [at the Masters].”

As usual, the storylines are numerous at Augusta, from Scheffler’s attempt to be the first back-to-back winner since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002 to McIlroy’s bid to complete the career Grand Slam with a Masters win.

Former champion Angel Cabrera, who, like all former winners, has a lifetime invitation to Augusta, will make his first appearance since 2019 after serving a 30-month prison sentence for domestic abuse. He missed two years during the Covid pandemic and last year’s tournament because of visa issues. DM