Schwartzel excited to defend his LIV London crown

Schwartzel pipped countryman Hennie du Plessis to first place in Hemel Hempstead in 2022, the first event in the inaugural LIV Golf season.

The South African then capped a perfect weekend with victory in the team event as Stinger GC stormed to a comfortable victory, fuelling his excitement ahead of the second instalment of LIV London.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said the 38-year-old.

“It was a big achievement in my life, it was also historical in the fact it was the first ever LIV event.

“I was booking my flights and couldn’t believe a year had passed but I’m also looking forward to going back there.”

With this year’s LIV London event falling just a fortnight before the 2023 Open Championship, the field will be looking to tune up in Hertfordshire before travelling north to Royal Liverpool.

Schwartzel, who finished in tied for seventh the last time The Open was held in Hoylake, insists LIV deserves high praise for a stellar and often compelling first year.

The new format, with individual and team events, has proved a breath of fresh air, while some of golf’s biggest names have lit up the circuit over the past 12 months.

Dustin Johnson’s 35-foot eagle putt on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the LIV Golf Invitational-Boston for his first victory in 19 months will live long in the memory, while the signing of former world No.2 and reigning Open champion Cameron Smith was a huge coup.

For Schwartzel, the opportunity to sample some new courses has been one of many highpoints, most notably a memorable weekend at the Grange Golf Club in Australia back in April.

“I think it’s gone beyond anyone’s expectation,” added Schwartzel.

“It was supposed to be an experimental year this year. Starting off, we were supposed to have just eight events and here we are, we are running 14 events.

“I think Adelaide is the one that stands out the most for being blown away, it was beyond anyone’s expectation for sure.”