Charl Schwartzel arrived at Pearl Valley Golf Estates for this week's South African Open with one clear thought in his mind: "The year is not finished yet".
After a dramatic final charge that saw him finish second to Spain's Pablo Martin in the Alfred Dunhill Championship, Schwartzel is more determined than ever to finish the year on a high note with a victory in his national Open.
"I put it all in there last week. There was a lot of confidence. I was making good putts and making a very good charge at the end," Schwartzel said.
And the true confidence Schwartzel speaks of stems from his form on the greens in that final round, where he finally found the putting touch that eluded him for most of the week.
"I felt like I putted well. I've been struggling with that in final rounds the whole year. I've been hitting the ball well like I did again in the last round. There were a couple of loose shots, but the putting was good."
This week represents the last chance for Schwartzel to get a win in 2009.
"The year's not finished yet. I'm playing well and looking forward to the SA Open," he said
 |
Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate will host the South African Open Championship in 2011 and 2012. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Serengeti is the first 27-hole golf course in Gauteng and was recently named “Best New Golf Course” by Golf Digest.
The 18-hole course called Masai Mara, which means “wide open plains” in the language of the Masai, has a rugged grassland and dune-scape look. One of the unique features on the course is the par-five eighth hole with its island green. The nine-hole course called Whistling Thorn has a more classic feel.
The courses were constructed in accordance with USGA specifications, with cool season grass that provides green vistas all year round. Designed as a strategic and technical masterpiece that will test today’s best players, the sunken design of the course with its wide corridors is ideal for tournament purposes and provides optimal spectator value on almost every hole.
