Golf: Tips from greats gave Schwartzel the edge

As the new 2011 US Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel hurried out of Augusta on Monday to catch a flight to Asia, one increasingly old man sat in his chair not far from the course and smiled a long, contemplative smile.

The demanding schedule confronted by every modern professional golfer is awesome, intimidating even. You need to be 26 to handle the kind of late night, early morning schedule that faced the South African winner.

But another South African was in no rush to flee Augusta. Indeed, he was staying in town to have one last, relaxed round of golf with friends and business associated.

But before he put on that familiar black cap, Gary Player sat down and reflected on a second South African winning the tournament in just four years. And, melancholy growing, an even deeper smile crossed Player's face when he reflected upon the fact that young Schwartzel had won on the 50th anniversary of his own first triumph at Augusta National.

"It has brought back very many happy memories" 75-year-old Player conceded, emotion not far from his voice. "I was the first overseas player ever to win this tournament back in 1961 and for Charl to do it exactly 50 years later on the 75th anniversary of the Masters gives it all a neat symmetry."

Player paid tribute to the new champion whom, he believes, has the game to go on and achieve still more majors. "In one sense, he reminds me of myself when I was a young man. He is a real international player, he goes all over the world to play the game just like I used to.

"I always believed that broadened my horizons, made me a better player. And I am sure Charl would say just the same."

What was not known until late Sunday night, was that Schwartzel had set off on his final round of the 2011 Masters after reading a personal note of encouragement from South Africa's first ever Master, Gary Player. He had wished the young man well and offered a few words of advice.

Player smiled. "I must say, I am like a mother hen watching all these young men go out and play the game. I watch Ernie play and want him to do well so badly. It was just the same for Charl on Sunday in the final round.

"That goes for all the South African players because I believe they are so talented and I keep telling everybody 'These guys can really play'. Charl proved that beyond any doubt on those back nine holes Sunday afternoon.

"I really think South Africa can be so proud of her golfers. I see them all from time to time and this is an exceptional group of highly talented young men. Some have their good days, some not so good. But they are great ambassadors for our country."

After his triumph, Schwartzel recalled the extraordinary story of how another great, the incomparable 18 times major winner Jack Nicklaus, had given him a hole-by-hole master class lesson on how to play Augusta when the pair met a year earlier at Ernie Els' special golf day to raise funds for autism.

Schwartzel explained "That lunch was set up by Mr. Johann Rupert, he introduced me to Jack. I had never met Jack Nicklaus before and I was really excited. I knew he sort of liked hunting a bit so that was the way I got the conversation going.

"Then Mr. Rupert suggested to Jack maybe he could give me a few tips on how to play Augusta. I was thinking it was just going to be a vaguely quick little thing.

"But 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 to attack etc.

"The big thing for me was, I had never ever seen Augusta. Now he's taking me through how to play it. But I'd only seen it on TV at that stage. But now I'm in the presence of Mr. Nicklaus and it's such a big awe. I was just staring and taking in what I could. But luckily, Mr. Rupert was taking a lot of notes so afterwards we had it all."

You could just say, Charl Schwartzel felt like a young man who had it all as the warm Augusta Sunday night turned into the small hours of Monday morning. He'd admitted he found the whole Augusta experience, with the roaring crowds, vast galleries and the whooping and hollering, hard to take in.

"I've never been involved in a tournament like this with that atmosphere on the back nine holes on Sunday afternoon. It's my first win here in America. I've not been around before when it's been that tight."

But somehow, as he left Augusta yesterday, you had the feeling that this calm, quiet young South African is going to be around a lot more when the Augusta cauldron boils over again.