Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters Champion, is aiming to overhaul Phil Mickelson and become the fourth South African to win the US Open.
South Africans have enjoyed plenty of Major success of late, with Louis Oosthuizen winning the Open in 2010, Schwartzel the Masters in 2011 and then Ernie Els becoming Open Champion at Royal Lytham & St Annes last year.
Indeed Schwartzel’s compatriots have been riding the crest of a wave for some time and have already won six European Tour titles this season, and should Schwartzel win today he will join Gary Player (1965), Ernie Els (1994 and 1997) and Retief Goosen (2001 and 2004) as a US Open Champion. Only Player and Els have won two of the four Majors.
His best finish in six previous US Opens was tied ninth in 2011, but should he go on to win in his 26th Major Championship appearance, he:-
• Would be the 16th player in Major Championship history to win both the Masters Tournament and US Open Championship.
• Would be the 46th Major Championship victory by a European Tour Member since 1979.
• Would become the 13th European Tour Member to win multiple Major Championships.
• Would become the seventh European Tour Member to win the US Open Championship, following Ernie Els (1994 and 1997), Retief Goosen (2001 and 2004), Michael Campbell (2005), Angel Cabrera (2007), Graeme McDowell (2010) and Rory McIlroy (2011).
