JOHANNESBURG – South African Charl Schwartzel’s biggest asset is the unhurried and clear-thinking way he plots his way around the golf course, the U.S. Masters champion’s swing guru said on Monday. “Charl’s big talent is in his mind,” Hendrik Buhrmann told Reuters. “He was not at all rushed in that final round at Augusta on Sunday, even after he had won you heard how slowly he spoke. “He was also hitting the ball with beautiful balance and control, it was lovely to watch.”
Buhrmann, 47, has been a player on the Sunshine and Asian tours for 25 years but will now be known as the man who fine-tuned Schwartzel’s swing in the run-up to his two-shot win at the Masters. The 26-year-old was struggling with his action before the Joburg Open in January and called Buhrmann for help on the eve of the tournament. “Having a chat with Hendrik made all the difference,” said Schwartzel after winning the European Tour event in Johannesburg.
“My swing had not been good for quite a while but I phoned Hendrik and said I needed him. “He came out and gave me some really good advice. He had video footage of me in Singapore a year back when I was playing really well. He compared the two and there were quite a few things out of place.” Buhrmann, who will concentrate more now on his coaching than on a playing career that brought him 9 professional wins, said his work with Schwartzel was nothing drastic.
