The payoff came in more ways than one on Sunday at LIV Golf Miami, with SA golfer Charl Schwartzel claiming $2.25 million (around R43.6m) for his second-place finish, just one stroke behind Australian Marc Leishman.
Another well-known South African, Louis Oosthuizen, finished tied 33rd but also still walked away with $145 572 (R2.8m), while Branden Grace pocketed around R1.1m even as he finished 50th with 17-over.
It was a particularly good confidence booster for Schwartzel ahead of the Masters, with the South African producing a stellar final round at Trump’s Blue Monster course, which was purchased by the Trump Organization in 2012 before undergoing a host of renovations.
Charl Schwartzel heads to Augusta with a swagger
Schwartzel will undoubtedly now be hoping he can mount a challenge that enables him to repeat his 2011 Masters triumph.
“It’s the first time in a long time I said to the guys that I actually feel very optimistic,” Schwartzel said. “I feel quite confident about it. 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 time. Lost over 10 pounds of weight, got fit, started practicing harder, and the biggest thing is I have no injuries. So I’ve been swinging the club freely. It’s been good. Yeah, I feel good about next week.”
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