Schwartzel: If there’s any tension at Masters dinner it won’t be my doing

Bernie McGuire
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Charl Schwartzel (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)

Bernie McGuire

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By Bernie McGuire, Saudi Arabia.

Past champion Charl Schwartzel insists if there is any tension at this year’s Masters ‘Former Champions Dinner’ it will not be his doing.

Augusta National announced five days prior to last Christmas that there will be no restriction on the six now LIV Golf past Masters winners including – Phil Mickelson (2006, 2010 and 2014), Schwartzel (2011), Bubba Watson (2012 and ’14), Sergio Garcia (2017), Patrick Reed (2018) and Dustin Johnson (2020) – in being allowed to contest what will be the 87th hosting of the Masters.

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It also gave the green light to the six to be present at the annual Tuesday night all green jacket dinner.

However it was Spaniard Jon Rahm, yet to be fitted with an Augusta members green jacket, who suggested ahead of last month’s Sentry Tournament of Champions: “… the Masters champions dinner is going to be a little tense compared to how it’s been in the past”.

A number of LIV former Masters winners, including Reed and Watson, disagreed with the 2021 US Open winner and now a third Masters champ and fellow LIV player in Schwartzel has come out singing the same tune as Reed and Watson.

“There will not be any tension from my side in joining the Former Champions Dinner but then if there is tension from someone else, then I can’t control that,” said Schwartzel after posting a level par 70 on the opening day of the Asian Tour’s Saudi International.

“The dinner is one of the special evenings I look forward to so much each year and I’m always excited to be present at the dinner.

“It was one of the more memorable moments in my life when I hosted the dinner in 2012 as the reigning Masters Champion. It was also one the most nervous times I have ever been in making a speech in front of some 30 or so fellow champions (laughing).”

Schwartzel won the Masters at his second appearance, coming from four shots back heading to the final round to birdie his closing four holes and claim the coveted members green jacket from the Aussie duo of Adam Scott and Jason Day.  He was third in 2017 and a year ago, Schwartzel shared 10th place.  

And for 14 straight Augusta appearances the South African continues to warm at the end of each year to receive a letter in the mail postmarked ‘Augusta, GA’.

“I have always said it is a privilege to play at Augusta National and even before the LIV conversation came-up, it was very much the scenario you were going to play there for life,” he said.

“It was obviously a worry when it was being mentioned that those LIV golfers who won a Masters may not be welcome back, and that would have been a huge disappointment.

“So, that’s why I was so happy to receive my invitation in the mail at the end of 2022.

“I would say in our sport of golf winning a Masters is your biggest achievement, with Augusta being such a special place and to be able to play there is an honour.”

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