Charl Schwartzel is happy to be considered an outsider for the 2012 US Masters as he prepares to return to Augusta to defend his title.
Schwartzel, who is 35/1 with bookmaker to win this year’s event, famously birdied his final four holes to dramatically win Augusta’s much-coveted Green Jacket last year ahead of Australian duo Adam Scott and Jason Day.
Much of the talk ahead of the season’s first Grand Slam event has been around Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. The former will be aiming to wipe out the memory of 2011’s collapse while the latter is getting back to the kind of form that has seen him win four Masters titles.
But South African Schwartzel believes letting his competitors enjoy the spotlight could help him next week.
He said: “It does make a difference, in a way, if you feel you’re being overlooked and you can work under the radar.
“All the other guys, they apply a lot of pressure on themselves, and you can go about your business the way you normally would and catch them off guard.”