Charl SchwartzelDave Martin
SINGAPORE - U.S. Masters winner Charl Schwartzel has the right temperament to cope with the pressures of becoming a surprise first-time major winner, according to unexpected 2004 British Open champion Todd Hamilton.
South African Schwartzel overcame pre-tournament odds of 100/1 to fire a brilliant six-under-par final round of 66 to win the Green Jacket at Augusta last week despite the challenges of major winners Tiger Woods and Angel Cabrera on Sunday.
American Hamilton, who produced an even bigger surprise when he beat Schwartzel's compatriot Ernie Els to win the Claret Jug at Troon in a playoff seven years ago, said he enjoyed the South African's play in the final round at Augusta.
"I just saw him and congratulated him, it was fun to watch," Hamilton told Reuters in a recent interview at the Malaysian Open which concluded on Sunday.
"I watched it here in Malaysia and it was an exciting finish. There were a lot of guys that could have won but Charl birdying the last four holes was very impressive on that course."
Hamilton, 45, is well aware of the pressures that await Schwartzel after winning his first major.
The American's career has severely nose-dived after his sole major triumph and he has failed to add to his 17 worldwide titles and tumbled down to 597 in the world rankings.
With that experience, Hamilton said it was important Schwartzel enjoyed his success.
"I would tell him to enjoy it and don't burn yourself out doing a lot of stuff, enjoy the time. It is something they can never take away from you and just enjoy having fun with it," Hamilton said.
"I think Charl is a pretty level-headed guy … the times I have been around him I think he is a pretty even keeled and a fun-loving guy so I don't think he will have any problem with his success he has had."
The biggest problem Schwartzel will now face, according to Hamilton, is the never-ending requests for interviews from the media.
The 26-year-old South African told Reuters ahead of the Malaysian Open he had already experienced the problem as he missed his flight from America on Sunday night because of the media interviews he had to do following his triumph.
After completing all his requests, Schwartzel flew 25 hours from America for the Malaysian Open and shot a final-round 70 to finish 11th after complaining of jet-lag earlier in the week.
"Everybody wants to ask you the same question but they don't want to ask you at the same time," Hamilton warned.
"If you ask me a question I then walk around the corner and some other guy will ask the same question. If I go upstairs to have lunch I will talk to a guy he will ask the same so it seems you are always answering the same question."
That problem is becoming less of an issue for the American now, however, as he slumped to his third missed cut in six events on the European Tour this year after following up an opening one-under-par 71 with a 79 in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.
"I didn't play very well. The first day I didn't play well at all but made a couple of birdies late in the round to have a respectable score but still didn't play that well.
"I'd like to try and get better. My golf hasn't been very good for quite a while so I'm just trying to improve, be a little more consistent than I have been and hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later."
Meanwhile, Schwartzel will take some time off and go home to South Africa to enjoy his success before returning to action as he bids to retain his number one position in the European Tour money list and avoid the major jinx of Hamilton.