2011 masters review

The historic fireworks show that Charl Schwartzel staged at the end of the 2011 Masters Tour­na­ment didn’t burn bright for long.

That night, the South African was on a plane to Malaysia for a European Tour event.

Schwartzel, who birdied the closing four holes in the final round to win the 75th Masters, didn’t return to the United States for more than a month, when he played in The Players Championship.

In the weeks after one of the most thrilling Masters on record – eight players had a share of the lead in the final round – Schwartzel was almost an invisible champion, at least in the United States.

U.S. golf fans didn’t get to vicariously share the victory with the latest Masters champion as they had done in the past. There were no guest spots on talk shows or other U.S. appearances, which had become the norm for many champions.

Schwartzel still left plenty for golf fans to remember.

On the 50th anniversary of fellow South African Gary Player becoming the first international player to win the Masters, Schwartzel became the first Masters champion to birdie the closing four holes of the final round.

Previously, the best any champion had done was birdie the final two holes in the final round.

The furious finish gave Schwart­zel 6-under-par 66 – the lowest final round by a winner since Nick Faldo’s 65 in 1989.

Schwartzel finished at 14-under 274 for a two-shot victory over Australians Adam Scott (67 in the final round) and Masters rookie Jason Day (68).

“If you want to go out and win a tournament, that’s how you’re going to do it,” Day said of Schwartzel.

Schwartzel, Day and Scott were among the players who had a piece of the lead at some point in the final round. The others were third-round leader Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Geoff Ogilvy, K.J. Choi and 2010 Masters champion Angel Cabrera.

“It was a classic Augusta Sun­day,” said England’s Justin Rose, who closed with 68 and tied for 11th.

Schwartzel’s amazing run on the final holes started soon after he saw a scoreboard on the 15th hole that showed him tied at the top.

“It was now or never,” he said. “I knew I had to start making some good shots.”

He made birdie putts of 6 feet (No. 15), 15 feet (No. 16), 12 feet (No. 17) and 18 feet on the final hole.

“It was always going to come down to the back nine, who made the birdies coming in,” Schwartzel said. “Justin Rose told me, ‘You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.’ I just sort of calmed myself as much as I could.”

Schwartzel’s finish overshadowed his start. Trailing by four shots after rounds of 69-71-68, he needed to do something early – and did.

It started on the first hole when he holed out an 80-foot bump-and-run chip shot for birdie.

After a par on the second hole, Schwart­zel holed out a shot from 114 yards for an eagle on No. 3. Just like that, he was 3-under after three holes.

“On the first hole, things started going my way,” he said. “It’s always nice when things start in the right direction.”

Schwartzel then settled down, making 10 pars and a bogey (on No. 4) through No. 14.

His win came on the 25th anniversary of Jack Nicklaus’ famous charge to victory at age 46.

If it wasn’t for a lengthy conversation Schwartzel had with Nick­laus 13 months before the 2011 Masters, he might not have won.

In March 2010, both were playing playing in the Els for Autism Pro-Am, put on by South African Ernie Els.

A meeting was set up for Schwart­zel and Nicklaus by South Afri­can businessman Johann Rupert, a longtime supporter of golf in the country. Rupert joined the two for lunch.

After Schwartzel and Nicklaus talked about hunting, Rupert asked Nicklaus, a six-time Masters champion, whether he could give Schwartzel some tips on how to play Augusta National.

Schwartzel thought “it was going to be just a vaguely quick little thing, and he actually took the time to take me through all 18 holes the way he used to think around Augusta and the way he used to play it, which flags he used to attack.”

At the time, the tips weren’t sinking in because Schwartzel, who was going to make his Masters debut three weeks later, had never played Augusta National.

“He’s taking me through how to play Augusta and I’ve only seen it on TV,” Schwartzel said. “And now I’m in the presence of Mr. Nick­laus, and in such awe. I’m just staring at it and taking in what I can.”

Rupert took notes, which he later e-mailed to Schwartzel.

“So afterwards we had it all,” said Schwartzel, who missed the cut three weeks later in the 2010 Masters, but became the surprise 2011 winner thanks in part to Nicklaus’ tips.

It also helped that fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen had won the 2010 British Open in St. Andrews.

“That was a huge inspiration,” Schwartzel said. “To see Louis win the Open Championship the way he did, you know, we grew up together from a young age. We played every single team event, tournament against each other, and we represented South Africa for so long.

“You know, we always traveled together, so we basically are the best of mates. We play almost every single practice round together, as well. So we know where our level of golf is, and just to see him do it made it, in my mind, realize that it is possible, and just sort of maybe take it over the barrier of thinking that a major is too big for someone to win.”

Schwartzel’s victory made him the youngest Masters champ since Woods won his third green jacket at age 25 in 2001.

Schwartzel was 26 when he won the Masters, but he wasn’t the 20-something who was expected to be wearing the 2011 green jacket.

McIlroy, 21 at the time, was in total control of his game through 54 holes and built a four-shot lead. But he faded early on the back nine and finished tied for 15th place after shooting 80.

Woods, who started the final round seven shots behind McIlroy, blistered the front nine with 31 but missed three short putts on the back nine and had 36 to finish at 67. He tied for fourth for the second consecutive year.