Golf – Joburg Open:South African Charl Schwartzel coasted to a second successive European Tour victory in his home city today, leaving Darren Clarke a distant second. The 25-year-old followed his one-shot Africa Open win last Sunday with a six-stroke triumph in the Joburg Open.
Clarke, who let slip a chance to apply real pressure midway through the front nine, chipped in for eagle on the last to tie for second place with Schwartzel’s compatriot Keith Horne, round in a best-of-the-day 64.
The notable double, completed with a polished 66 for a six stroke win, takes Schwartzel to his best position in the world — possibly as high as 35th depending on what happens on the US Tour.
His fifth European win should also lead to him making a Masters debut at Augusta in April. The top 50 the week before the first major of the season all qualify.
He has the talent to go much higher, though. He was 23 under par here and is 52 under for his last 11 competitive rounds.
Schwartzel said he had not allowed himself to think about victory until he reached the last hole with a five-stroke cushion.
"You never really want to think like that because I've seen a lot of ugly things happen in this game. But standing on the 18th tee, it was pretty much done, right there.
"It's not easy leading by that much. Your mind plays games with you and you keep thinking it can change so quickly. It takes it out of you."
Clarke did well to stay on level par early on Sunday after some wayward hitting. He briefly got within two of Schwartzel when he birdied the fourth but some bad putts from close range robbed him of any momentum.
Horne's seven-under-par 64, which included birdies at the final two holes, put him into joint second after he had started the day at 10 under.
South African James Kamte and England's Danny Willett finished tied for fourth at 14 under par.
Sunday was the first day of the tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and South Africa's Sunshine Tour, not to be interrupted by thunderstorms.
Collated scores
(Gbr & Irl unless stated,
Irishin bold, par 71)
261Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 63 68 64 66
267Keith Horne (Rsa) 68 65 70 64, Darren Clarke63 69 67 68
270Danny Willett 65 67 70 68, James Kamte (Rsa) 67 66 69 68
272Hennie Otto (Rsa) 67 66 69 70, Peter Whiteford 66 69 70 67, Soren Hansen (Den) 66 70 68 68, Joost Luiten (Ned) 66 69 69 68
273John Parry 66 67 71 69, Josh Cunliffe (Rsa) 68 70 67 68
274Neil Cheetham 67 69 72 66, Warren Abery (Rsa) 69 67 70 68, Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa) 71 64 67 72, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 70 66 70 68, Paul Broadhurst 66 68 69 71
275Alex Haindl (Rsa) 71 66 65 73, Tjaart Van Der Walt (Rsa) 67 70 67 71, Titch Moore (Rsa) 68 68 70 69, Simon Thornton70 65 71 69, Neil Schietekat (Rsa) 62 72 69 72
276Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 63 69 71 73, Marcel Siem (Ger) 67 69 69 71, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 66 69 73 68
277Robert Rock 68 71 70 68, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 66 69 68 74, David Lynn 63 67 75 72, Clodomiro Carranza (Arg) 65 70 71 71, Michael Hoey68 69 67 73
278Christiaan Ries (Rsa) 68 70 71 69, Brandon Pieters (Rsa) 70 69 68 71, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 67 68 72 71, Marc Cayeux (Zim) 70 67 73 68, Jamie Elson 71 67 68 72, Oliver Bekker (Rsa) 70 64 71 73, Grant Muller (Rsa) 71 68 72 67, Hendrik Buhrmann (Rsa) 68 64 69 77, Ariel Canete (Arg) 68 69 70 71, Alexandre Kaleka (Fra) 71 67 71 69, Deane Pappas (Rsa) 67 68 72 71
279Carl Suneson (Spa) 66 70 73 70, Justin Walters (Rsa) 71 67 74 67, Rhys Davies 73 66 72 68
280Prinavin Nelson (Rsa) 71 68 69 72, Dawie Van Der Walt (Rsa) 70 68 70 72, TC Charamba (Zim) 68 68 68 76, Robert Dinwiddie 70 66 71 73, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 67 69 73 71, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 67 67 74 72, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 69 68 70 73
281Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 68 71 72, Shaun Norris (Rsa) 67 70 71 73, Phillip Price 72 67 71 71, David Horsey 68 71 71 71, Branden Grace (Rsa) 67 70 72 72, Carlos Rodiles (Spa) 69 70 70 72, Gary Lockerbie 70 66 71 74, Andrew McArthur 65 74 68 74, Teboho Sefatsa (Rsa) 69 70 73 69, Barry Lane 65 72 74 70, Trevor Fisher Jnr (Rsa) 72 67 70 72, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 70 69 70 72
282Ryan Tipping (Rsa) 72 67 71 72, Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 66 74 71
283Andrew Marshall 69 69 72 73, Simon Khan 63 74 76 70
284Sam Hutsby 70 69 73 72, Kevin Stone (Rsa) 72 63 73 76, Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 66 71 74 73, Alan McLean 71 66 76 71, Andrew Curlewis (Rsa) 68 66 76 74, Julien Quesne (Fra) 69 70 70 75
285Jacques Blaauw (Rsa) 68 68 78 71, Theunis Spangenberg (Rsa) 71 68 73 73, Vaughn Groenewald (Rsa) 69 70 77 69
286Ross Wellington (Rsa) 68 69 73 76
289Christiaan Basson (Rsa) 67 72 77 73