Four behind Rory McIlroy entering the final round of the 2011 Masters and without a top-10 major finish, Schwartzel chipped in for birdie at the first, pitched in for eagle on the third and then birdied the last four holes for a sparkling 66.
Four behind Rory McIlroy entering the final round of the 2011 Masters and without a top-10 major finish, Schwartzel chipped in for birdie at the first, pitched in for eagle on the third and then birdied the last four holes for a sparkling 66.
With McIlroy crashing to an 80, the South African beat Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day by two 50 years to the day after fellow South African Gary Player became the first non-American winner at Augusta National.
Schwartzel had to come through the 36-hole Final Qualifying competition at Royal Cinque Ports on July 4 to make it into his 15th Open and first since 2018.
His best finish so far was joint seventh at Royal Liverpool in 2014.
He has 11 DP World Tour titles, eight of them on home soil, four Presidents Cup caps, and had another victory in America in 2016 when he defeated Bill Haas in a play-off for the Valspar Championship. He also reached world No 6 in 2012.
He has had top-20 finishes in five Opens, his liking for links golf first illustrated when he won the English amateur stroke play title at Royal Cinque Ports in 2002.