Charl Schwartzel wins inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series event; Also part of team competition | Golf News

Schwartzel finished a shot ahead of Henni du Plessis, who were both part of the Stingers GC side victorious in the Team Competition at Centurion Club; Schwartzel earns $4million for his victory and an additional $750,000 for being part of the winning team

Charl Schwartzel won the inaugural event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series

Charl Schwartzel secured the biggest payday of his golfing career by surviving a back-nine wobble to claim a two-stroke victory in the inaugural event of the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Schwartzel carded a two-over 72 at the Centurion Club to end the week on seven under and two clear of compatriot Henni Du Plessis, earning him the winners’ cheque of $4million.

The South African duo were both part of Stingers GC, who won the team competition alongside Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen, with the quartet all earning an additional $750,000 share of the $3million team first prize.

Schwartzel took a three-shot lead into the final round and saw his lead extended when Du Plessis bogeyed the sixth, with a Schwartzel birdie at the eighth seeing him reach the turn five ahead.

The former Masters champion hit a wayward tee shot at the par-four 12th on his way to an untimely double-bogey but made a two-putt gain at the par-five next to match Du Plessis’ birdie, before a bogey at the 14th dropped the overnight leader back to eight under.

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Patrick Reed has become the latest high profile player to join the Saudi backed LIV Golf Series.

A superb two-putt par from distance at the par-five 15th and a clutch par-save at the 16th kept Schwartzel two ahead with two to play, with a final-hole bogey enough for him to earn a first-prize nearly three times the figure he claimed for his major success in 2011.

“Honestly, I’m relieved!” Schwartzel said. “It was tough finishing there. I made a bad mistake on 12 which put me on the back foot and I needed to just stay calm and try and get this thing in the house and out of my hands. I made it a bit more difficult than it should’ve been, but I’m just proud of how I hung in and it [winning] is a great feeling.”

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