Charl Schwartzel is the fast master

A knowledge of the greens at the Augusta National could help South African retaining Green Jacket.

Charl Schwartzel said training on the greens before the Masters last year ensured he did not fear them and could play well.

Charl Schwartzel still has six weeks before defending his title at the Masters, but the South African already expects the glare of the spotlight to be the biggest hurdle to winning a second successive Green Jacket.

"There's obviously going to be more eyes on you, people would want to see whether you can live up to the challenge," Schwartzel said.

"But that's something I have to get around in my head not to worry about. I have to go out there and treat it as a new tournament, just give it my best. As long as I prepare properly, give the golf the attention it needs that week."

Schwartzel, who birdied the last four holes to win the title last year, plans to keep it simple when it comes to changes: "Nothing. Last year worked."

For Schwartzel, that meant long weeks of pre-Masters putting practice to cope with the undulating greens of the Augusta National.

"The greens at Augusta are the biggest factor, the thing the guys are most concerned about," Schwartzel said.

He said he spent six or seven weeks trying to perfect his putting on the fast greens. "I think that's what made me feel so comfortable," he said. "I wasn't scared of the greens at all."

In fact, Schwartzel said, he used them to his advantage.

"Augusta, if you know the greens well, you can actually use them to your benefit more than what should be a disadvantage or that you should be scared of them," he said. "But you really need to know them like the back of your hand."

For Schwartzel, it meant seeking out the most difficult putting areas at every event he entered and playing then over and over again.

"The biggest thing you actually learn is to make a small stroke," he said.

"You play week in and week out on fast greens, but not nearly as fast as you get at Augusta. The biggest adjustment is to learn to make a little stroke and be consistent with it."

That comfort zone helped Schwartzel become the first player to birdie that last four holes to win the Masters.

"While you're doing it, the last thing you're thinking about is that you've made four birdies," he said. "I'm trying to win the Masters. It never even crossed my mind when I finished that I just made four birdies."

Schwartzel's other concern ahead of the Masters is whether he will be allowed to host a barbecue on the lawn outside the clubhouse. One of the traditions of the event is that the holder of the title chooses a menu for the champions dinner on the Tuesday of Masters week.

"I don't like very formal dinners," he said. "I thought of keeping it very relaxed, sort of standing around a fire and cooking the meat."

* Agencies