Johannesburg - South African Charl Schwartzel carded a final round 64 with a brand new putter to help the player end in a share of fourth in the BMW Championship on the PGA Tour on Sunday.
In the penultimate event of the race to the FedExCup - the season-long points list - Schwartzel rocketed up the leaderboard in the fourth round courtesy of a much-improved performance on the greens with a putter he had never used before. The high finish helped Schwartzel secure the final spot into the Tour Championship next week at 30th on the FedExCup standings.
The 2011 Masters Champion ended 12-under for the tournament, 11 shots behind runaway winner Dustin Johnson of America on 23-under.
Schwartzel had battled to get anything going in his earlier rounds of 70 70 and 72, but in the final round everything clicked.
“It was just a really good round. The whole week I played so well and didn't make any putts. I changed my putter this morning and I went back and I made some putts and that's the difference,” said Schwartzel.
“I went back to a putter I never used in my life. I've been going back to these putters that I think work and I just said, give me that, give me a putter that I never putted with, I won't even know what it putts like. And I took it out and I really putted well. I hit the ball as good as I did all three rounds and I made the putts.”
Schwartzel came into the week ranked 43rd, and was in serious risk of missing out on making it the season-ending event.
“I played really well in these playoffs, up until the third round. Every single one of them I've been in the Top-20 and I've hit the ball really good and I had a really awful time with the putter.
“So, I felt like I put myself in a very unnecessary position, but you've got to deal with it. And I came out here to see if I could keep my long game as good as it's been and I did and I struggled with the putting for the first three days. And it just shows what really good putting does to your scoring. So, it's just nice to come out and play some golf like I've been feeling like I should.”
Schwartzel will be the sole South African representative at the Tour Championship, as Louis Oosthuizen (38th) and Branden Grace (41st) failed to advance. African News Agency (ANA)