Charl Schwartzel Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Charl Schwartzel to tee it up at LIV Golf Bedminster after freak ‘slipper’ incident results in broken toe!

Golf Digest Middle East — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 09:35:07 +0000

Charl Schwartzel is looking after his foot at Bedminster. LIV Golf

Stinger’s Charl Schwartzel was mad at himself following a double-bogey midway through Sunday’s final round at LIV Golf Greenbrier.

So he did what many golfers of all levels have done out of frustration through the years. He kicked his bag. Unfortunately this time, the bag won.

Schwartzel broke the big toe on his right foot, forcing him to withdraw one hole later. Left with just three active players in the line-up, the Stingers held on for third place — the fifth podium finish for the South African team in the last seven tournaments. It was a result worth celebrating, but Schwartzel was hardly in the mood as he struggled to climb the stairs at Greenbrier that evening after receiving treatment. “Not a good moment,” he recalled on Thursday.

There is good news, though. Schwartzel will be in the line-up this week, teeing off on Friday with the other Stingers at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. Although still painful to walk, Schwartzel said there’s almost no pain when he swings a club. That was the deciding factor when he told Stinger captain Louis Oosthuizen he was ready to go.

“He played nine [holes] yesterday,” Oosthuizen said. “He’s a lot better. He strapped it up. He’s fine.”

“No restriction in my golf swing,” Schwartzel added. “Walking is the hard part but we can suffer through that.”

Welcome back to Bedminster ?#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/hQqndUz6Ol

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) August 9, 2023

There will be one significant change for Schwartzel this week. He’ll be wearing different shoes. More to the point — sturdier golf shoes. Schwartzel has worn FootJoy shoes for years but about five months ago, he switched to Nike Air Jordans. He was happy with them … until the realisation on Sunday that they weren’t made for kicking a golf bag.

“Those Nike Jordan shoes, the real soft ones, are almost like slippers,” he said. “That thing’s got nothing on the toe. When I kicked it, I realszed that was a mistake. One hole later, I couldn’t walk. Couldn’t swing. Something was seriously wrong. I’m not proud of kicking the bag. Just frustration, which I’ve done many times at the bottom. But there’s just no support on the shoes. It’s like kicking barefoot.”

Oosthuizen added: “We’ve all been there, done that. He was just wearing the wrong shoes to do that.”

Schwartzel, who won LIV Golf’s inaugural tournament last year in London, will return to his FootJoys this week. He said they offer more support and protection on his toe when he swings. He tried wearing the Air Jordans but his toe is too sore. “The FootJoys with the support takes all the pressure away from the toe,” he said.

But at some point when his toe is fully healed, Schwartzel will return to the Air Jordans. “Oh, I’ll go back to my other shoes, the slippers,” he said. “But I won’t kick the bag again.”

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Will any team ever repeat the Stingers’ podium sweep?

Clarkwin — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 04:59:14 +0000

Image supplied

They stood on the podium 13 months ago, a team of four South Africans, feeling pure joy but not quite 100% sure how to celebrate.

Charl Schwartzel had a champagne bottle in his hands and was ready to pop it open. Only one problem: He didn’t know the best method to shake it in order to maximize the spray.

“I had never really done that, so that was new to try to figure that out,” he said this week, laughing at the memory. “It was just new to golf. We’d never seen that. You see that in Formula 1 where they get podium finishes, and all of a sudden this is what LIV Golf has done.”

LIV Golf launched its beta-test Invitational Series at Centurion Club in June of 2022, a week worthy of its disruptive approach to traditional golf. Individuals also competed in teams, and the final result after 54 holes centred entirely on the fun-loving Saffas. Stinger GC won the team title by a resounding 14 strokes, which remains the largest winning margin in LIV Golf’s young history. Schwartzel won the individual title. Teammate Hennie du Plessis finished an unexpected second. And teammate Branden Grace took third. It was, in their words, a “fairy-tale start,” this sweep of the individual podium.

And it hasn’t been done since. Perhaps never will.

Entering this week’s return to LIV Golf London, 14 regular-season events have been played since the Stinger sweep. The only time members of the same team appeared on the individual podium happened last year in Jeddah when Smash GC Captain Brooks Koepka beat then-teammate Peter Uihlein on the third playoff hole, giving Smash a 1-2 finish. In every other event, the individual podium has been filled with players from three different teams.

“I don’t think you can ever say ‘never see it again,’ but it was certainly a surprise to see the three Stingers up there on the podium,” said Majesticks GC co-captain Lee Westwood. “They were clearly going to win the team event that week.”

Since then, the quality of LIV Golf tournament fields has improved tremendously. Before the next event in Portland, major champions Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed joined LIV Golf, as did several other highly-ranked players. More major champions followed in the ensuing weeks, including Henrik Stenson and reigning Open champion Cameron Smith. Veteran players with winning credentials lifted the back end of rosters.

More than half of the LIV Golf lineup has been turned over since the debut London event, with just 23 players returning to Centurion Club this week. The 25 new players have combined to win 223 professional events across the globe. That increased depth spread across the 12 teams makes it more difficult to pull off the individual sweep.

“Obviously the depth of field has changed a huge amount in the last 12 months,” said original LIV golfer Graeme McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champ. “I think the major championship performances that we’ve seen from our players this year prove that we still have a lot of world-class players in this field. … Strength of field is incredible, and it really is difficult to get on the podium with these teams and with these guys because the standard of golf has been way better than I ever expected.”

“Everything is just getting stronger and better,” added Grace. “The teams are stronger now. There are hopefully more guys coming to make it even stronger. To finish 1-2-3 I don’t think is going to happen pretty soon, if ever, again.”

Even so, some teams certainly have improved their own depth, theoretically giving them a better chance to sweep the podium.

Consider RangeGoats GC. With Bubba Watson returning from knee surgery, Talor Gooch transferring from the 4Aces and Thomas Pieters joining in the offseason, the Goats have an upgraded roster in 2023 to go with holdover Harold Varner III. Not only do they enter London with five consecutive podium team finishes, they’re the only team with two different individual winners – Gooch with three wins, and Varner with one.

Or consider Crushers GC. Captain Bryson DeChambeau surrounded himself with veteran talent while working hard to return to his own lofty standards. This season, Charles Howell III won in Mayakoba, Anirban Lahiri finished second in Adelaide, and DeChambeau was runner-up last week in Andalucía. That’s three different podium finishes – just not in the same tournament.

Or consider 4Aces GC, the only other team to have three different players finishing on the podium this season. Captain Dustin Johnson won in Tulsa, transfer Peter Uihlein finished second in Mayakoba and Patrick Reed took third in Adelaide.

And certainly, you must consider Torque GC, the only team with multiple victories this season. Torque hasn’t had an individual winner, but Sebastian Munoz finished second in Orlando and Mito Pereira took third in Andalucía. Captain Joaquin Niemann is a threat each time out, and 21-year-old David Puig has produced his two best LIV Golf results in his last two starts.

“Torque has done a great job,” said Majesticks co-captain Ian Poulter. “RangeGoats obviously transitioning to get Talor Gooch was clearly a very good idea. He’s been pretty impressive. DJ and Brooks and — there are so many good, solid teams. … There is strength and depth between all of the teams, and it’s impressive to see. It’s good for the fans, as well, to see not the same team winning every single week.”

Last week after Torque won its third team title, Niemann was asked about the potential of a podium sweep by his team. He originally thought the question concerned the end-of-season Individual Champion race, not even fathoming a single-tournament sweep. Upon getting clarification, Niemann’s eyes lit up. “That would be sweet.”

Added teammate Sebastian Munoz: “We definitely take it as a challenge. We’re motivated to get there, as well.”

Thus far, it’s only been done once. And not even the winning podium lineup from 2022 is the same for the Stingers. Dean Burmester is the new face in place of du Plessis, and he already has a podium result, a third in Orlando, to go with Grace’s three podium finishes this year.

The Stingers enter this week with good vibes and good memories. Schwartzel is well-versed in champagne celebrations, and his team would love nothing more than a repeat performance. It won’t be easy.

“Yeah, I don’t think you’ll see it again,” Schwartzel said. “I suppose you never say never, but it was an awesome week for everybody and just happened to have the same team, same guys play really well. I guess we got lucky that week, and we had a great time. We’ll always keep trying to do that, but I’m not sure if it’ll happen.”

Oosthuizen, the odd man out on the individual podium, recalled thinking last year as he sprayed his teammates with champagne, “I don’t know how we’re going to ever top this.”

This week, he’ll gladly settle for simply matching it.

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Report: Stenson, Kaymer, Casey set to be among latest LIV Golf stars to resign from DP World Tour

Matt Smith — Tue, 09 May 2023 11:15:07 +0000

Henrik Stenson with his Ryder Cup captain replacement Luke Donald

Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey are reportedly among the latest stars set to resign from the DP World Tour — taking the total of high-profile LIV Golf players either having already walked away from the old European Tour or about to in the immediate future to nine.

Last week, four long-standing members — Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Richard Bland and Ian Poulter — quit the circuit with the threat of incremental fines of up to $630,000 for DP World Tour card holders who continue to participate on the LIV Golf Circuit.

Now The Telegraph has reported that Swede Stenson, England’s Casey, Germany’s Martin Kaymer, and South African duo Charl Schwartzel and Brandon Grace are set to follow suit.

Paul Casey

All DP World Tour members who have competed on LIV Golf since its inaugural event in London last June are in breach of the tour’s tournament release regulation and so are liable to the sanctions imposed on members in breach of that rule.

Following the DP World Tour’s fine and suspension of 17 members who moved to the new circuit last June for the inaugural LIV Golf event in London, a group of players led by Adrian Otaegui, Poulter and Justin Harding filed an appeal against the DP World Tour. The LIV members were granted an injunction to enter the Genesis Scottish Open, pending a full hearing before the arbitration panel in February, which voted in favour of the DP World Tour.

The move to quit the DP World Tour means LIV Golfers will not face any more fines in the future for continuing to compete on the new series.

Martin Kaymer

However, it also rules out any future Ryder Cup participation for the European contingent, with Stenson — who was stripped of the Team Europe captaincy after he switched — Kaymer and Casey all having featured prominently in the biennial tournament along with Poulter, Garcia and Westwood.

New Ryder Cup skipper Luke Donald recently admitting his sadness at the departure of the initial trio of Westwood, Poulter and Garcia. “It is a shame,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of history when it comes to the Ryder Cup. Ultimately this is their choice and I wish them well.”

Rory McIlroy, a Ryder Cup teammate of all the European players, echoed that sentiment: saying: “I think it’s a shame that you’ve got the highest points score ever in the Ryder Cup [Garcia] and two guys that, when they look back on their career, that’s probably going to be at least a big chunk of their legacy is the roles that they have played in the Ryder Cup for Europe [Westwood and Poulter] … But at the end of the day that was their choice.”

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Look: The top 10 LIV Golf earners after three events as players get ready for The International in Boston

Matt Smith — Thu, 18 Aug 2022 10:09:36 +0000

By Matt Smith
It is no secret that the LIV Golf players are handsomely rewarded for their efforts. They are paid sums never before seen in golf just for turning up at the 54-hole, no-cut events, with the individual winner taking home $4 million at each competition and the last man pocketing $120,000. And then there is the team aspect, where the winning quartet split another $3 million four ways.

Now we have three tournaments under our belt from the new LIV Golf circuit — Centurion near London, Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon, and Bedminster, New Jersey — it is interesting to see who leads the way in terms of earnings from the combined individual and team competitions, where a total of $75 million has been paid out.

Obviously tournament winners such as South African duo Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace hog the top of the board, but some consistent performances from the likes of Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed (who has only played two events) are also paying big dividends.

As the players prepare for round 4 at The International in Boston, here is a rundown of the top 10 LIV Golf earners so far:
10: Peter Uihlein: $2,176,000
9: Louis Oosthuizen: $2,816,667
8: Talor Gooch: $3,403,000
7: Carlos Ortiz: $3,425,000
6: Hennie du Plessis: $3,530,000
5: Patrick Reed: $3,750,000
4: Henrik Stenson: $4,375,000
3: Dustin Johnson: $5,212,500
2: Charl Schwartzel: $5,491,000
1: Branden Grace: $6,918,333

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LIV Golf Invitational Series update: First three events bring a party atmosphere to England and US

Matt Smith — Wed, 03 Aug 2022 05:17:23 +0000

By Matt Smith
On Thursday June 9, 2022, history was made as the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter teed it up for the inaugural Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series event — the first of eight tournaments this year offering a total purse of $250 million and dangling a $4 million carrot to each individual winner.

It all got under way at Centurion Club, just outside London, with a 2.15pm shotgun start in leafy St Albans.

LIV Golf Invitational Series at Centurion Club

This was a tournament more akin to an F1 afternoon in Abu Dhabi rather than a normal PGA or DP World Tour event.

The shotgun start, festival park and full-on access to the players gave fans an unprecedented experience. There were airshows, competitions, activations, golf sims and DJs. There were after-game concerts each night with some big names such as James Morrison, James Bay Jessie J and Craig David rocking the summer sunsets.

Charl Schwartzel was the toast of London as he went home with a collective $4.75 million in his pocket and it was a bit of a South African party in England as the Louis Oosthuizen Stingers team block-booked the podium.

Schwartzel took top spot, holding off the unheralded Hennie du Plessis by a stroke on seven-under. Fellow Stinger and South African Branden Grace took third spot.

Oosthuizen, who himself finished a tidy T10, joked on the podium: “This is why a captain is so important. None of them would be here if it wasn’t for me.”

LIV Golf was well and truly rolling and from London, the series made its first foray into the United States at the beginning of July with its second event staged at Pumpkin Ridge, Portland, in Oregon.

Branden Grace with the LIV Golf Portland trophy

Again it was a South African celebration in the festival-style atmosphere as Grace shot 65 in the final round for the biggest pay day of his 15-year professional career — and the individual title. His 13-under total for the 54-hole event was two strokes better than Carlos Ortiz, with Patrick Reed and Dustin Johnson finishing another two strokes back.

Johnson’s 4 Aces GC claimed the team title at 23-under, seven strokes ahead of Stinger.

In winning, Grace claimed the $4 million individual prize, as well as a quarter-share of the $1.5 million second-place prize won by Stinger, making his total payout Saturday at $4.375 million. For the two LIV Golf events, he’s now won $6.4 million.

“I played with DJ at London as well on the Sunday and played really nicely, and just kind of found a groove,” said Grace after winning for the 15th time as a pro. “I’ve been feeling really comfortable. I’ve been hitting the shots that I see and things like that, and that’s really important and gives you the confidence.”

Although Johnson didn’t make the individual podium – he lost the third-place tiebreaker to Reed – he was happy to see his 4 Aces romp to the team title. The other two members are Talor Gooch and Pat Perez and, like all 48 players, they loved the atmosphere at this revolutionary event.

“The fans were electric from start to finish,” Johnson said. “I mean, there was a ton of energy out there. Branden played unbelievable and deserved everything with the way he played. But I thought the fans and the crowd were absolutely amazing.”

Henrik Stenson

The drama certainly did not let up as we arrived at Bedminster, New Jersey, where Henrik Stenson capped a brilliant weekend with victory on his debut — a matter of days after he was stripped of the Ryder Cup captaincy.

The Swede claimed a two-stroke victory over Matthew Wolff, while DJ’s 4 Aces were strong enough for back-to-back wins in the team event.

“I’m super-proud of the focus I managed to have this week,” said Stenson after his famous win. “I’ve been working really hard to get my game back in shape, and it’s certainly going in the right direction as we know now.”

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LIV Golf teams revealed as Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces look to defend title in Bedminster

Matt Smith — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 12:26:55 +0000

By Matt Smith
The 12 teams set to compete at the third LIV Golf Invitational Series event at Bedminster, New Jersey are now set.

Dustin Johnson’s all-American 4 Aces took the glory at Portland last time out and the former world No. 1 will once again team up with Talor Gooch, Pat Perez and Patrick Reed to defend their title.

Among the 48 LIV Golf players are debutants Paul Casey, Jason Kokrak, Charles Howell III and former Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson.

LIV Golf’s third event of the season is taking place July 29-31 at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey — the new series’ second event in the US following the inaugural tournament at Centurion just outside London, and the second competition at Pumpkin Ridge, Oregon.

At Centurion Club, the South African ensemble at Stinger — captain Louis Oosthuizen and fellow South Africans Charl Schwartzel, Hennie du Plessis and Branden Grace, took first place with a total score of 20-under, and Schwartzel claimed the individual glory. While Johnson’s 4 Aces triumphed in Portland, it was another Stinger, Grace, who came out on top in the individual event and took home the $4 million top prize.

MORE: LIV Golf Bedminster: Ready for Round 3
Stenson defends LIV Golf decision
Top agents still calling me: LIV Golf’s Greg Norman

LIV Golf layout for Bedminster

MEET THE TEAMS

4 ACES
The all-American team captained by Dustin Johnson won by seven strokes in Portland after a line-up revision. Newcomers Patrick Reed and Pat Perez were added to the team for Portland while Talor Gooch moved over from Torque. Reed and Johnson tied for third individually, with Reed claiming the podium spot via tiebreaker. Johnson (T6), Gooch (T34) and Reed (T47) all made the cut at the recent 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.

CLEEKS
Captain Martin Kaymer has three new teammates, including former Niblicks captain Graeme McDowell, for his all-European team. Kaymer (Germany) and McDowell (Northern Ireland) have each won a US Open and also have delivered the clinching putts for Europe in the Ryder Cup (McDowell in 2010, Kaymer in 2012). Englishman Laurie Canter joins the team after playing for Majesticks in the first two events. Spain’s David Puig, ranked ninth in the world amateur rankings, played for Fireballs in London.

Paul Casey. David Cannon

CRUSHERS
Paul Casey and Charles Howell III make their LIV Golf debuts in Bedminster by joining captain Bryson DeChambeau’s team. Casey and Howell add plenty of experience, combining for 1,100-plus worldwide starts in their professional careers. DeChambeau and Shaun Norris are the two carryovers from Portland, where DeChambeau made his LIV Golf debut and assumed captain’s duties, finishing solo 10th.

FIREBALLS
The all-Spanish speaking team captained by Sergio Garcia remains intact for Bedminster. Thanks to a birdie by Carlos Ortiz on the final hole, Fireballs broke a tie with Torque to claim the $500,000 team prize for third place in Portland. Ortiz and Abraham Ancer played for Mexico in the Tokyo Olympics, while Garcia played for Spain at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Former amateur star Eugenio Chacarra of Spain made his pro debut in Portland, finishing T-27. Ancer (T-11) and Garcia (T-68) made the cut at the Open Championship.

HY FLYERS
Justin Harding, one of the most consistent performers in the first two LIV Golf events, returns to captain Phil Mickelson’s team. Harding tied for 10th in London while playing for Hy Flyers, then tied for eighth in Portland with Crushers. Matthew Wolff and Bernd Wiesberger remain on the team. Wolff tied for eighth in his LIV Golf debut in Portland.

IRON HEADS
Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent will join his third different team after playing for Smashers in London and Cleeks in Portland. Captain Kevin Na and Sadom Kaewkanjana have been the constants for Iron Heads in all three events, with Phachara Khongwatmai joining the team in Portland. Kaewkanjana comes in with momentum after finishing T-11 at the Open Championship — the best finish ever by a Thai player in that major.

Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia. LIV Golf

MAJESTICKS
Major winner and Olympic medallist Henrik Stenson makes his LIV Golf debut in Bedminster by joining captain Lee Westwood’s team. Stenson becomes the team’s first non-English golfer, replacing Laurie Canter, now with Cleeks. Stenson, Westwood and teammate Ian Poulter have combined to make nearly 1,900 worldwide starts in their careers. Majesticks took third place in London and eighth in Portland.

NIBLICKS
Hudson Swafford becomes captain of the new all-American team. Swafford, who played for Torque in London before joining Niblicks in Portland, takes over for Graeme McDowell (now with Cleeks). Peter Uihlein, formerly of Crushers, joins the team, while Turk Pettit returns to the team after playing for Cleeks in Portland. Uihlein joins teammate James Piot as past winners of the US Amateur.

PUNCH
Travis Smyth joins the all-Australian team captained by Wade Ormsby. Smyth will appear on his third different team, having played for Crushers in London and Niblicks in Portland. Smyth, from New South Wales, replaces fellow Aussie Blake Windred. Matt Jones (T16) was the team’s top performer in Portland.

SMASH
New LIV Golf member Jason Kokrak joins the team captained by Brooks Koepka. The big-hitting Kokrak has won three tournaments since October 2020 and will add a powerful presence off the tee. Smash finished sixth in Koepka’s debut in Portland, with all four players finishing inside the top 30. Chase Koepka played for Hy Flyers in London before joining his brother in Portland.

The Stinger team and their families in London. LIV Golf

STINGER
The all-South African team captained by Louis Oosthuizen has been the most successful in the first two LIV Golf events, winning by 14 strokes in London and finishing second in Portland. Stinger players also have won each of the first two individual trophies with Charl Schwartzel (London) and Branden Grace (Portland). Each of the four members has finished inside the top five in at least one of the first two events.

TORQUE
The all-Japanese team captained by Hideto Tanihara finished fourth in Portland, just one stroke off the podium. Jinichiro Kozuma was the team’s top performer, placing solo sixth in the individual standings and ranking as the second-best putter among all 48 players in the field. Yuki Inamori, making his LIV Golf debut in Portland, tied for 10th, while Tanihara and Ryosuke Kinoshita also finished inside the top 24.

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LIV Golf teams are set for Portland after draft, as South African Stingers look to defend title

Matt Smith — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 11:26:32 +0000

By Matt Smith
In a glitzy Tuesday evening event, the LIV Golf captains revealed their four-man teams to compete at the series’ second event in Portland, taking place June 30-July 2 at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Oregon.

WATCH: All the action live from Portland

The LIV Golf Invitational Series features teams of four where players compete as individuals and teams for both points and prize money. Captains and teams are finalised the week of each event, as each tournament may showcase a different field. In the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational London at Centurion Club, Stinger GC, with captain Louis Oosthuizen and fellow South Africans Charl Schwartzel, Hennie du Plessis and Branden Grace, took first place with a total score of 20-under-par. The four players will again compete together to defend the first-ever LIV Golf team title against a field that showcases a variety of new team captains and rosters as well as major champions and rising stars making their LIV Golf debut.

Every team has a LIV Golf-appointed team captain who selects his squad. All members of the four-player teams, including the captain, compete in the three-day tournament. The player with the lowest 54-hole stroke play total is the individual winner. In the team competition, the best two stroke play scores in the first two rounds will count for each team. For the third and final round, the best three scores will count. The lowest overall team score after 54 holes is the team winner.

[parone_video_player campaign=”281″ defaultlang=”en” feed=”51-all-videos”/]

STINGER GC

All four players were born in South Africa. Stinger GC won the inaugural team competition at the LIV Golf Invitational London. Stinger members also took the top three spots on the individual leaderboard (1-Charl Schwartzel, 2-Hennie du Plessis, 3-Branden Grace).

CRUSHERS GC

New LIV Golf member Bryson DeChambeau takes over as captain. DeChambeau replaces Peter Uihlein, who led the team to a runner-up finish in London. Uihlein, fourth individually in London, remains on the team. Newcomers include South Africans Shaun Norris (formerly of 4 Aces) and Justin Harding (formerly of Hy Flyers).

MAJESTICKS GC

Lee Westwood takes over for Ian Poulter as captain of the all-English team. Poulter remains on the team, as does Laurie Canter and Sam Horsfield. Majesticks GC finished third in London and Horsfield was the top Majesticks player, finishing fifth individually. Combined, the players have made more than 1,600 starts professionally.

TORQUE GC

Entirely new line-up consisting of four players born in Japan. Hideto Tanihara (formerly of Iron Heads GC) takes over for Talor Gooch as captain. Other new players include Ryosuke Kinoshita (formerly of Punch GC), Jinichiro Kozuma (formerly of Smash GC) and Yuki Inamori (making his LIV Golf debut). Combined, they’ve made nearly 1,000 starts professionally.

4 ACES GC

Captain Dustin Johnson is the only carryover from London. His new team now includes three fellow Americans – Patrick Reed, Pat Perez and Talor Gooch. Reed and Perez are making their LIV Golf debuts and Gooch was formerly the Torque GC captain. Reed (2018) and Johnson (2020) have won two of the last five Masters. Combined, the four players have made more than 1,350 worldwide starts in professional events.

CLEEKS GC

Martin Kaymer remains captain and Ian Snyman is also a carryover from London. New team members include Scott Vincent (formerly of Smash GC) and Turk Pettit (formerly of Niblicks GC). Snyman and Vincent were among six players who qualified for the LIV Golf Invitational London through the International Series. The four teammates are from different countries – Germany (Kaymer), South Africa (Snyman), Zimbabwe (Vincent) and the US (Pettit).

PUNCH GC

Wade Ormsby (captain), Matt Jones and Blake Windred are carryovers from London. Jediah Morgan (formerly of Fireballs GC) joins the now All-Australian team. Punch loses its top performer from London, Ryosuke Kinoshita (T-13th individually).

NIBLICKS GC

Captain Graeme McDowell is the only carryover from London. His new roster consists of Travis Smyth (formerly of Crushers GC), Hudson Swafford (formerly of Torque GC) and James Piot (formerly of Fireballs GC). McDowell was his team’s top performer in London, finishing T-10 individually.

SMASH GC

New LIV Golf member Brooks Koepka takes over as captain of a team with an entirely new roster of players. His younger brother Chase Koepka (formerly of Hy Flyers GC) joins the team, as does Richard Bland (formerly of Crushers GC) and Adrian Otaegui (formerly of Torque GC). Otaegui finished T-6 individually in London.

HY FLYERS GC

Captain Phil Mickelson gets three new members with Matthew Wolff making his LIV Golf debut. Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger (former of Niblicks GC) and Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat (formerly of Smash GC) join the two Americans. Mickelson and Wolff are former NCAA Division I men’s golf champions.

FIREBALLS GC

Sergio Garcia is the lone carryover. The Spaniard remains captain of a team that includes three players making their LIV Golf debuts and all four players are from Spanish-speaking countries. Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz are from Mexico, and Eugenio Chacarra is from Spain. Chacarra, the No. 2 ranked amateur making his pro debut in Portland, considers Garcia as a mentor. Ancer and Ortiz competed in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, while Garcia competed in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

IRON HEADS GC

Kevin Na (captain) and Sadom Kaewkanjana are carryovers from London. Newcomers include Sihwan Kim (formerly Smash GC captain) and Phachara Khongwatmai (formerly of Crushers GC). Na and Kim were born in Seoul, South Korea, and each moved to California at a young age. Khongwatmai and Kaewkanjana are from Thailand.

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Who won what at the LIV Golf Invitational Series in London

Matt Smith — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 11:01:06 +0000

By Matt Smith
We know that 2011 Masters champion Charl Swartzel claimed the trophy and $4.75 million at the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series at Centurion Club outside London at the weekend.

But here is a closer look at who took home what from the Saudi-backed event.

Individual

Win: $4,000,000 – Charl Schwartzel
2: $2,125,000 – Hennie Du Plessis
T3: $1,500,000 – Branden Grace, Peter Uihlein
5: $975,000 – Sam Horsfield
T6: $800,000 – Oliver Bekker, Adrian Otaegui
8: $625,000 – Dustin Johnson
9: $580,000 – Talor Gooch
T10: $560,000 – Graeme McDowell, Justin Harding, Louis Oosthuizen
T13: $360,000 – Pablo Larrazabal, Ryosuke Kinoshita
T15: $250,000 – Martin Kaymer, Jinichiro Kozuma
T17: $232,000 – Richard Bland, JC Ritchie, Laurie Canter
T20: $200,000 – Ian Poulter, Scott Vincent
T22: $172,000 – Shaun Norris, Wade Orsmby, Sergio Garcia
T25: $166,000 – James Piot, Matt Jones, Ian Snyman, Phachara Khongwatmai
29: $158,000 – Lee Westwood
T30: $156,000 – Hudson Swafford, Viraj Madappa, Jediah Morgan
T33: $150,000 – Kevin Yuan, Phil Mickelson, Travis Smyth, Kevin Na, Chase Koepka
T38: $140,000 – Oliver Fisher, Blake Windred, David Puig, Hideto Tanihara, Ratchanon Chantananuwat
T43: $130,000 – Bernd Wiesberger, Sihwan Kim
45: $126,000 – Turk Pettit
46: $124,000 – Sadom Kaewkanjana
47: $122,000 – Itthipat Buranatanyarat
48: $120,000 – Andy Ogletree

Team

Win: $3,000,000 – Stinger GC – Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Hennie Du Plessis, Branden Grace
2: $1,500,000 – Crusher GC – Peter Uihlein, Phachara Khongwatmai, Travis Smyth, Richard Bland
3: $500,000 – Majesticks GC – Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Sam Horsfield, Laurie Canter

The post Who won what at the LIV Golf Invitational Series in London appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Priceless: Charl Schwartzel reflects on famous moment at LIV Golf after a long, long wait

Matt Smith — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 22:44:31 +0000

By Matt Smith
First place in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series competition: $4 million
Share of first place in the inaugural team competition during the same three days: $750,000
A hug from the kids and a first trophy in six years: priceless

King Charl ??#LIVGolf | @CA_Schwartzel pic.twitter.com/2K1x3daus0

— LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) June 11, 2022

Charl Schwartzel made history on Saturday to win the first ever LIV Golf event at Centurion Club and the relief on his face after holing the final putt was more to do with victory in its own right rather than the whopping pay cheque that came with it.

Yes, the South African took away $4.75 million for his work over 54 holes in Hertfordshire this week, but the 2011 Masters winner honestly just looked more delighted to embrace his son and daughter and prove he could be a champion once again.

Schwartzel’s last win came way back in 2016 before some steely nerves and a hot putter took him home by one stroke at Centurion Club on Saturday.

https://twitter.com/LIVGolfInv/status/1535712056313249793

He was clear by five at one point but hit the wobbles on the back nine, and had to hold it together to hole out for a one-stroke triumph over ‘Stinger’ teammate and fellow South African Hennie Du Plessis with the final shot (third-placed Branden Grace and skipper Louis Oosthuizen made up the winning foursome).

The definition of domination ?#LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/CvPFv5jGbr

— LIV Golf (@LIVGolfInv) June 11, 2022

“I really wanted to win again,” Schwartzel told the media here, with both individual and team trophies sitting beside him. “I worked very hard the last few years and there were signs of good golf and just haven’t really been able to be in contention, and I played really god the first 11 holes. I hit a wayward shot on 12 and it sort of derailed me.

“From there on, I was just trying to hang in. Hennie was playing some really good golf, he was hitting good shots and playing pressure.

“It was a little bit like ‘just get in the house’ at the end. But I couldn’t be more pleased and happy with how it turned out today.”

“I’m tired,” he joked after the three-day shotgun tournament, as opposed to the usual 72-holes. “I came here last Saturday. I played Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. So I’ve played a full week of hard preparation, and I think for the amount that’s at stake, what LIV has put up, I could see myself doing that for almost all the event, really trying to prepare like I did for majors. Majors I used to come early and be real prepared. Because you have got three rounds now, so you don’t have four rounds to maybe catch up if you were behind. You have to play well all three rounds, otherwise you won’t win.

“So, 54 holes was the tournament, but my week has been very long.

The Masters champion also reflected on what this week meant compared to his famous week at Augusta back in 2011.

“I don’t know if there’s anything that will ever come close to a green jacket. Majors are what define our careers. Obviously I was fortunate to win the green jacket and I’m very proud of that.

“Money is one thing but, there, you’re playing for prestige, history. Yeah, winning a major will always top anything you do.”

Du Plessis took $2.875 million for his week’s work and he was quizzed how he felt after it was suggested he had just tripled his career earnings.

“Obviously I’ve worked hard to be in this position and to earn this amount of money,” he said after his near miss for the title. “I’ve got LIV Golf to thank for that, for giving me the opportunity. It’s been an incredible week and I’m very grateful and I’m very happy.

“It’s hard not to think about the money. But you’re still trying to win a tournament and put a decent result in. So I didn’t really think about the money. I just thought about the trophy.”

There was a real camaraderie in the Stinger team, as they are all South African, and captain Oosthuizen admitted that was part of his plan from the start. He is aiming to keep them together for the next LIV event in the US at the end of the month.

“So Charl and Branden are in my team going forward to the next event in Portland,” he said. I sort of looked them up and said I want them on my team. I would love to have a full South African team every week.

“I know Hennie has got a few things struggling with visa appointments and stuff like that with the backlogs, and so, if he can sort that out, there’s a space on my team for him. If it works out, the four of us play the next ones.”

It was quite a closing day in St Albans as — following the announcement of Bryson DeChambeau on Friday — both Patrick Reed and Pat Perez were confirmed as signing up to LIV Golf, despite the confirmation of suspension from the PGA for any player who made such a move.

During the event, Reed joined the commentary team in London online to explain his decision: “I’m super excited. Just the thought of being a part of an evolution and a change in golf for the better for me, it’s unbelievable. I have been watching all weekend and the format and just the way everything is, I’m super excited and can’t wait to be a part of it.

“I have been talking to a few of the guys after the first round and second round and they have told me how well not only the tournament is run but also the turnout with the fans and the excitement and energy — and I think that’s the biggest thing is the energy seems so lively and every player seems so pumped and ready to go. Portland can’t get here fast enough.”

Fellow Pat, Perez, added shortly afterward: “DJ (close friend and former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson) was about 100 per cent the reason that I have this deal. He wanted me to be part of it. A deal like this doesn’t really come across to a guy with my rank and this and that, even though I’ve been on tour 21 years and I’ve got three wins and I’ve made 335 cuts.

“But DJ wanted me on his team and you know, the opportunity to follow a world-class player like that, two majors and FedEx, 24 wins and world No. 1 for a really long time, it’s really an honour to be by his side and to be on his team.”

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Charl Schwartzel wins historic inaugural LIV Golf event in London over Hennie Du Plessis to claim $4.75m

Matt Smith — Sat, 11 Jun 2022 18:57:32 +0000

By Matt Smith
Charl Schwartzel held his nerve on the final hole of the final day at the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series event in London — and take home $4.75 million for his troubles.

The South African star famously won the 2011 Masters and came into this week’s event having not stood with silverware since 2016 as his career went through a barren spell.

All that changed on Saturday as he put in a sterling performance for a wire-to-wire win over three nervous days at the challenging par-70 course in Hertfordshire.

In the innovative Saudi-backed tournament, a total of $25 million was put up in prize money and Schwartzel had a double celebration as his Stingers team — made up of four South Africans alongside runner-up Hennie Du Plessis, third-placed Branden Grace and captain Louis Oosthuizen (T10) — claimed the inaugural team title, with each player picking up a bonus $750,000 each.

Schwartzel, who had a five-stroke lead at one point, was made to sweat over the closing holes, but he held his own to finish on seven-under — he bogeyed the last but got over the line — one ahead of Du Plessis, and two ahead of Grace and Peter Uihlein.

“Honestly it’s a relief,” said Schwartzel. “It was tough finishing. I made a bad mistake on 12 which put me on the back foot. I needed to stay calm. I had this thing in my hands and made it a bit more difficult than it should have been, but I am proud of how I hung in there, it’s a great feeling.

“Hennie played some fantastic golf. At 25 years old he has a bright future. Played real good. I am proud of him, and I am proud of my team mates. This is a historical moment. I was taking some heat down the stretch there, but we got there.”

Stingers captain Louis Oosthuizen was all smiles as he lifted the team trophy. “This goes to show you how important choosing a team is. Nothing they did today would have been possible if it wasn’t for me,” he joked as the celebrations began.

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