Charl Schwartzel skips Turkish Open to work on swing
Schwartzel was tied as the leading South African finisher in an otherwise forgettable tournament for himself and his fellow countrymen at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, China.
He finished 30th alongside Branden Grace at two-under par and added 65,215 points to keep him 30th on the Race to Dubai rankings.
The 2011 Masters champion decided to pull out of the Turkish Airlines Open and return home to South Africa to work on his game.
“You know, I thought the only real positive this week for me was that I stayed very patient. I didn’t particularly play very well,” Schwartzel told IOL.co.za.
“The golf swing’s not doing very well and I had a really bad back this week, so maybe that’s a factor.
“I will just work on my own swing with my dad, I can see it on the camera already but it’s just very difficult to fix while you’re playing in a tournament.”
He joins Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed, and Tiger Woods, who have all withdrawn from the European Tour golf tournament.
There have been security concerns overshadowing the tournament, as Turkey has been rocked by deadly bomb attacks in the past 18 months blamed on terrorist attacks.
Two-time champion Victor Dubuisson will defend his crown this week, while Pádraig Harrington, who recently won his first European Tour title since 2008 when he lifted the Portugal Masters, will return to Turkey for the first time since 2013.
Also in the field of 78 are Ryder Cup players Lee Westwood and Andy Sullivan, as well as fellow Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, the winner at last month’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The Nedbank Challenge in South Africa follows the Turkish Airlines Open, with the Tour season ending with the DP Tour Championship in Dubai.
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