there’s only one guy at congressional cc who’s traveling with a green jacket,
charl schwartzel, the only player who has the luxury of hoping to do what no one
has ever done: win all four professional major championships in the same season.
“it travels with me wherever i go,” said schwartzel of his masters jacket. “we only
get to keep it for a year, and then you leave it in your locker. so, instead of leaving it
in south africa and only seeing it every two months, i see it every day. i obviously
don’t put it on every day, but i see it and sometimes i just stare at it for a while.”
earlier this year schwartzel wore the jacket to a black-tie dinner, and some attend-
schwartzel’s;open;chance 02
ees thought he was a waiter. no one will mistake him for one of the help at con-
gressional, where he has more than a passing chance of becoming the first player
since tiger woods in 2002 to win the year’s first two majors. the south african
has a game suited to u.s. opens. “if i’m playing well, i make a lot of pars,” he said.
“i can grind out pars. i think i’d describe myself as a pretty good ball-striker. for
me the u.s. open was probably the one that i thought i would win first. i always
thought it’s the one i felt the most comfortable with. coming to this golf course
this week, it’s another one that feels good to me.” —J.M.
andre w redington/getty images
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