Schwartzel wins Alfred Dunhill Championship for fourth time, 10th Euro Tour win
It must be that home cookin’ for Charl Schwartzel.
The 2011 Masters champion won the Alfred Dunhill Championship for the fourth time on Sunday, taking the title at Leopard Creek in his native South Africa with a 15-under 273 total. Schwartzel was four better than Frenchman Gregory Bourdy, with Bourdy’s countrymen Benjamin Hebert and rookie Sebastien Gros finishing in third and fourth place, respectively.
Schwartzel came out playing nervously, turning in 1-over 36 on the front. However, on the inward nine, Schwartzel made three birdies in the first five holes, pulling clear of the field and allowing him to coast to a win.
“It feels good,” he said. “The way I’ve played the last few years, I’ve been down in quite a slump, I didn’t really see myself coming out and winning. But we’ve put in so much hard work in the last 18 months and it’s frustrating when week-in, week-out you’re playing and it feels like it’s never going to turn.”
Since winning his only major four years ago, Schwartzel has only managed to win in this event.
It’s a practical lock for Schwartzel to contend in this event. In addition to winning in the 2005, ’13, ’14 and now ’16 seasons, he has finished in the top two in eight of his 11 appearances, posting an aggregate score of 122 under par.
If only they played majors in South Africa. With this win, Schwartzel now has 10 European Tour wins, and six of them have come in his home country.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
