South African golf trio aim for glory as 'favourite week of the year' arrives at Augusta National

IT’S the 'favourite week' of the year for professional golfers as the Masters tournament takes centre stage from Thursday at Augusta National in Georgia.

- LEIGHTON KOOPMAN

South Africa and former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel is one of the international golfers, alongside US star Bryson DeChambeau, who describes this week in Augusta as the one they look forward to the most on the golfing calendar.

As the excitement builds for the first major golf tournament of the year, the 40-year-old Schwartzel alongside fellow South Africans Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Thriston Lawrence will fly the Mzansi flag at Augusta National, hoping to bag another Green Jacket for the country.

Schwartzel comes fresh off a brilliant round at the LIV Miami tournament where he claimed second spot and a cool R34 000 000 (after missing out on the top spot after the podium with a good comeback round at the end), that can be primed to carry that form into the week, especially after the 2011 Green Jacket winner, who will be playing in his 15th tournament, missed last year’s cut. It’s something he’d want to make up for, and some consistency in especially the second round will go a long way in achieving that.