South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel captured his second European title when he won the Spanish Open on Sunday.
Schwartzel finished on a 16-under-par total of 272 to take the $450 000 first prize, a 15-foot eagle putt on the long 16th giving the 22-year-old from Johannesburg a huge boost in a late duel with Carlos Rodiles.
In the end Schwartzel finished one shot ahead of Indian Jyoti Randhawa, who carded a final round of 67 to finish on a total of 273, with Spaniard Rodiles finishing a further shot back.
The majority of the field were forced to finish their third rounds on Sunday, as well as playing their final rounds, after thunderstorms and then fading light continued to cause havoc with the schedule on Saturday.
Schwartzel made his breakthrough European Tour win in 2005 when he won the Dunhill championship on home soil.
Despite a tense finale, the young South African kept his nerve to grab his maiden win on European soil.
He double-bogeyed the 18th at the first visit and twice found the rough on his second visit as he attempted to maintain a two-shot lead over Rodiles.
Schwartzel escaped with a bogey, and that proved sufficient for the victory when Rodiles, needing a birdie to tie, found heavy rough left of the green and bogeyed.
The South African later admitted it was his form on the 16th, however, which gave him the belief.
”The three shots on the 16th were probably the three best I hit all week. It’s not a tee shot to laugh at with water all down the left, but I hit it perfectly and then had the perfect three-iron yardage.”
There was only a 20-minute break and a quick lunch before starting his second round, and Schwartzel was thankful of that.
”It was a good thing I could have some lunch after that double — I was steaming,” he added.
”It was only 20 minutes before we had to tee off again, but it gave me time to cool down.”
Schwartzel also paid tribute to his caddie Ricci Roberts, whose former employer is none other than Ernie Els.
”Having Ricci on the bag is just superb. He had caddied for Ernie [Els] for about 16 years and they both fancied a change and when I asked if he wanted to caddie for me, I was very happy when he said yes,” said Schwartzel. — Sapa-AFP