Charl Schwartzel reflects on green jacket moments ahead of Augusta return

Schwartzel became only the third South African to win the invitational event when he famously earned the green jacket in 2011 – three years after countryman Trevor Immelman and on the 50th anniversary of Gary Player's maiden win in 1961.

The Southern Guards GC player is looking forward to his return to the Masters and still holds fond memories of his win 15 years later, having birdied the final four holes to beat off Australian duo Jason Day and Adam Scott.

“Every year you go back, you realise just how special Augusta is. When you’re younger, you’re focused on performing, but as you get older, you gain a real appreciation for what it means to be there," Schwartzel said.

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"It’s a privilege to return every year. For me, it’s always that stretch around 15 and 16. Making that putt on 16 and hearing the crowd erupt, that moment has always stayed with me. 

"It’s such a beautiful course, but there’s something about 16 that will always stand out.”

The 41-year-old comes off a high after playing in front of his home crowd at Steyn City a fortnight ago, when he helped the Southern Guards to a second place finish at LIV South Africa's debut event.

“I’m very proud of the way I fought through it. I wasn’t able to hit the driver and had a bit of a back issue, but I made the best of what I had and tried my best," he reflected.

"The whole week, just playing in front of those crowds, everyone we played with kept talking about how amazing it was. That’s what we set out to achieve, and it exceeded all expectations. It was incredible.”

Schwartzel will be looking to make the cut for a sixth time in seven years at this weekend's Masters, while trying to improve on his T36 finish in 2025.