Schwartzel shares Rory’s pain
McIlroy is recuperating this week in Dubai after being diagnosed with possible dengue fever and a low white blood cell count.
He had been advised by a Dubai doctor not to travel to the Thai capital where, on the first day of the final Asian Tour event of the year, Lee Westwood produced the lowest score of his career, a 12-under par 60.
His round is a new Amata Spring course record, a new Asian Tour low and one better than the scores Westwood produced on the European Tour, and both in Germany, in winning the 1998 Deutsche Bank Championship and finishing sixth nine years later in the Mercedes Benz event.
Victory this week, and just a fortnight after shooting a 62 to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, would see Westwood replace McIlroy as world number two heading to Christmas.
Double Major winner John Daly recorded his lowest round for some time, a seven under par 65, to be in second place. And Darren Clarke, after doubling the ninth, birdied five of his closing eight holes to get back into the red at one under par.
Schwartzel recorded a three under par 69. And the South African, who created Augusta National history in birding his closing four holes to win the Masters after McIlroy imploded, indicated he also will seriously look at his future playing schedule, given the Springbok has undertaken probably as much travelling this season as the young Ulsterman.
“I can totally understand what Rory is going through, totally,” said Schwartzel.
“You get to the stage where you’re playing too much golf. But, to be fair, Rory can play 52 weeks every year and I can play the same 52 weeks a year, but will your body be fit enough to handle that?
“Playing too much golf means that you won’t be competitive and the first thing to go will be your competitiveness. Mentally, you won’t be fresh and the only way you can play your best is to be fresh.
“But it’s a year I would never want to change and I’m sure Rory feels the same. And don’t get me wrong as I am not complaining but this week is my ninth event in-a-row in eight different countries.
“To perform at my best is very difficult at this stage of the season.”
Damien McGrane returned for his final event this year to record two birdies and three bogeys in a one over par 73.
McGrane’s last event had been the anxiety of missing the cut in last fortnight’s UBS Hong Kong Open.
However the former China Open champion could breathe a sigh of relief when he secured 115th place, among the top-118 to retain full 2012 Tour membership.
“In my head I sort of knew I had held onto my card and then there was a few behind me on the Race to Dubai who also missed the cut, so I was pretty right,” he said.
“Actually I was contacting Phil Price most of that weekend because I more worried about him, but he managed to grab the last spot, so I was happy for Phil. I was one over after nine and finished with a bag of pars to stay at one over par.”
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