UK Recap: Schwartzel prospers in final round but Stingers fall short of another podium finish
ROCESTER, England – Stinger GC was well placed to secure another podium finish this season heading into the final round at LIV Golf UK but the all-South African combination ultimately had to settle for a tie for fifth place.
Charl Schwartzel was the best performer for the Stingers on the last day as he closed with a bogey-free 68 highlighted by birdies at the second, 11th and 13th. That left him in a three-way share of 11th place at 8-under - five strokes behind winner Jon Rahm of Legion XIII.
Stingers captain Louis Oosthuizen was in early contention for the individual title after making two birdies in the first eight holes but he was unable to maintain that momentum and finished with a bogey at the last for a 70 and a five-way tie for sixth at 9-under.
Long-hitting Dean Burmester experienced a roller-coaster day, mixing five birdies with five bogeys on the way to a 71 and joint 24th place, while Branden Grace experienced another challenging week and ended up 51st after posting a 73.
A cumulative score of just 2-under was never going to be good enough to earn a podium finish for the South African quartet who had moved up into a tie for third after Saturday's second round.
"It's just a matter of having one tournament with a really good Sunday," said Oosthuizen, who had started his week at JCB Golf & Country Club with back-to-back 67s. "With the new format this year being four scores to count, all four players need to play well.
"Obviously it's a little bit more pressure on everyone playing well and some days you force it and it doesn't happen and then other days it happens by itself," added Oosthuizen, who has been a runner-up this season in both Jeddah and Adelaide.
The Stingers have been hit-or-miss in their first 11 LIV Golf starts this season and are well aware that greater consistency is needed after clinching four podium finishes while also producing four results of ninth or worse.
Their best performance was a runner-up spot in Adelaide, where they were agonizingly beaten in a playoff for the title by Ripper GC, while their lowest moment came in Las Vegas, where they struggled in surprisingly cold temperatures before finishing 12th out of 13.
"We need to put in a good Sunday," said Burmester, who won his first LIV Golf individual title earlier this season in Miami and currently occupies seventh place in the season-long points standings. "If all four of us can put in a good round on a Sunday, then we will be up there.
"All four guys are playing well enough to contend any week so as long as we can put consistent rounds together on a Sunday, then we will have a chance. It's just about sticking to your own game and knowing that three or four under will get the job done. As long as all four of you play pretty solid, then you are going to do well."
Only two events remain in the regular season as the Stingers continue their quest for a first team victory in 2024. Next up is the August 16-18 LIV Golf Greenbrier where the South Africans have good memories from last year: they finished third after Burmester closed with a 4-under 66 at The Old White Course while Grace and Oosthuizen both returned 67s.