AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — It’s wrong to call Charl Schwartzel
an accidental champion. Can’t do that to a player who makes four
straight birdies to close out a Masters victory.
But anyone who remembers that magical Sunday at Augusta last year remembers so much more than the winner.

There
was Rory McIlroy’s meltdown, Tiger Woods’ late charge, a leaderboard
with eight different players on top during the back nine and a barrage
of birdies that sent roar after roar echoing through those famous
Georgia pines.
"When that putt disappeared on 18, honestly the
last thing that went through my mind is that I made my fourth straight
birdie," Schwartzel said. "It was, ‘I just won the green jacket."
The
year’s first major got underway under calm skies Thursday morning, with
Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Arnold Palmer all hitting their
ceremonial first tee shots in the fairway. Three-time champion Phil
Mickelson, who had the day’s final tee time, was on hand in his green
jacket to watch the legends hit their perfect shots.
"I feel it was remarkable," Player said of Mickelson’s appearance.
Woods had a 10:35 a.m. tee time and McIlroy was set to start at 1:42 p.m.
Schwartzel, meanwhile, was scheduled to begin his defense at 10:24 a.m.
But
forgive fans if they aren’t swarming the South African when he tees it
up, trying to become the first back-to-back winner at Augusta National
since Woods in 2001-02. As was the case during last year’s carnival-like
final round, the golf world has an awful lot going on.
The
free-for-all begins with Woods, who notched his first PGA Tour win in 30
months two weeks ago in Orlando, and is suddenly re-established as the
favorite to win his fifth green jacket.
It includes McIlroy, who
won the Honda Classic in March, but is better remembered for the
resilience he showed last year by winning the U.S. Open by eight shots,
two months after blowing the four-stroke lead he took into the last day
of the Masters.
Phil Mickelson, world No. 1 Luke Donald, Steve Stricker and Hunter Mahan have all had wins early in the
2012 season.
Schwartzel,
meanwhile, has moved into the top 10 based largely on his Masters
victory. He started the year with a pair of top-5 finishes, but has
missed the cut in his last two events.
"There’s a lot of talk
now," he said. "Tiger has obviously won again and he’s really playing
very good. Rory is playing well. Phil is playing well. Luke. All of the
guys. But to me, I go about my business as I normally do, and I feel,
and I know, if I play my best, I can compete with anyone."
While
Schwartzel tries to bring the third Masters title back to South Africa
in five years, his countryman Ernie Els won’t get that chance. Els’
18-year string of Masters appearances ended this year when he failed to
qualify by the tournament’s normal criteria and officials decided
against extending him a special invitation.
"We expect him to be
back with us shortly and often," Augusta National chairman Billy Payne
said. "But after evaluating all of the circumstances, we chose obviously
not to extend an invitation, but look forward to seeing him soon."
South
Africa’s most renowned golfer, 76-year-old Player, was reunited with
the 72-year-old Nicklaus and Palmer, who is 82, on the first tee box
Thursday morning, as the Big Three hit the ceremonial first shots then
sit back and watch the fireworks.
There’s been plenty of that already at Augusta, thanks to Mother Nature.
A
powerful storm hit early Wednesday, dropping 1.4 inches of rain and
sending a tree crashing through a restroom near the 16th hole. More
thunder and lightning came later in the day, shortening the Par 3
contest and chasing the few remaining players practicing on the big-boy
course home early.
Everyone at Augusta needs as much practice as
they can get. Even before they made subtle changes by rebuilding the
greens on Nos. 8 and 16, the Masters was best known for producing the
toughest putting test in golf. Though the greens figure to be soft
because of the rain, competition committee chairman Fred Ridley promised
pin positions would be adjusted accordingly.
"Admittedly we won’t
have the firmness, but we think that we have looked at a setup that
takes all of that into consideration, as we always do with weather
considerations," he said.
Still, given the way the world’s best are playing this year, along with the conditions, Mickelson is
expecting low scores.
"The
greens are soft," the three-time champion said. "I don’t want to say
they are slow, but it’s just not the same Augusta. It’s wet around the
greens, and there’s no fear of the course. You’ve got to attack it this
week."
Schwartzel certainly knows that drill.
In one of the
most exciting finishes at a tournament renowned for them, he started his
streak by getting up and down on the par-5 15th for birdie to briefly
tie for the lead. Moments later, Adam Scott made birdie to go ahead
again and Schwartzel responded with a 15-footer on 16.
He took the
lead for himself for the first time with a 10-foot birdie putt on No.
17, then closed it out with another birdie to pad his margin to two
shots. His 6-under 66 was the best closing round by a winner in 22
years.
It’s life-changing stuff, winning the Masters.
"I was just over the moon putting on the green jacket," Schwartzel said.
.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.