Charl Schwartzel makes extra effort to play Alfred Dunhill, one of his top stops

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Charl Schwartzel calls the Alfred Dunhill Championship one of his favorite events because it's played at the spectacular Leoperd Creek Country Club in South Africa.

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PA Sport 

Series: European Tour

MALELANE, South Africa -- After an amazing 11-shot win in Thailand on Sunday, Charl Schwartzel has returned to one of his favorite courses in search of more success this week.

The Alfred Dunhill Championship takes place at Leopard Creek again on the border of the Kruger National Park in his native South Africa. The event is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and southern Africa’s Sunshine Tour.

"If it was any other tournament, I would have pulled out," Schwartzel said Wednesday. "You don't get much better than the setting at Leopard Creek and I figured I could get myself going on that.

"I'm not hitting it that well, but that's just my body being tired. I love being out in the bush and you don't get much more in the bush than this," he added. "It's such a relaxing atmosphere and of top of that the course is in such great shape."

The 28-year-old had his first European Tour win at Leopard Creek eight years ago and has been a runner-up no fewer than four times since then, to Ernie Els and Alvaro Quiros the following two seasons and then behind Pablo Martin in both 2009 and 2010.

Last weekend's win had certainly been coming. Schwartzel was fifth in the South African Open, third behind Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai and then second to Martin Kaymer in the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City.

"It's a great feeling winning again," said Schwartzel, who overcame a rib injury suffered during the summer.

"It has been a tough year and very frustrating at times, but the last six weeks things have started feeling a lot better," he explained. "I was able to start getting my swing back to where it should be and the results started showing."

World No. 5 Louis Oosthuizen is also in this week's field -- and it would be no surprise to see him win, either.

The 2010 British Open champion's last six finishes have been fourth, sixth, sixth (all in China), second to Matteo Manassero at the Singapore Open, fifth in Dubai and fourth at the Nedbank.

Also to be settled this week is the end-of-year top 50 in the world ranking, which brings with it an invitation to the Masters next spring. Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark is currently in 50th spot, but isn’t playing this week and is therefore under threat.

So is South Africa's 49th-ranked George Coetzee, who will drop below Olesen if he doesn’t collect any world ranking points at Leopard Creek.

Among those who could overtake him is Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal, and two are paired together in the opening two rounds alongside Schwartzel.

LB Arthur Brown Expected To Earn Starting Job

Posted Jan 13, 2014

Garrett DowningBaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer@Ravens All Garrett Downing Articles



The second-round pick will compete for a starting role at inside linebacker.



Arthur Brown’s rookie season was mostly a learning opportunity.

The inside linebacker spent the year as a defensive reserve, playing in the nickel packages on passing downs. He was also a key player on special teams.

Brown’s role was limited as a rookie, but the Ravens have much bigger plans in mind for next year.

“He’ll be competing for that Will linebacker starting job,” Harbaugh said. “I expect him to win the job, but he’s got to go win the job.”

Brown will likely have to compete with veteran Jameel McClain and Josh Bynes for the starting role. McClain has started at Will linebacker for the last four seasons, and Bynes took over the job for the first six games of last year while McClain was sidelined with a neck injury. McClain or Bynes could also play Mike linebacker next year, depending on what happens with free agent Daryl Smith.



Moving Brown into the starting lineup would give him the kind of role the Ravens envisioned when they traded up to draft him with the No. 56 pick last year. The Ravens drafted Brown with the intentions of putting him in the middle of the defense, and natural references to legendary linebacker Ray Lewis started almost immediately after the Ravens selected Brown.

Smith actually ended up taking over for Lewis at middle linebacker, allowing Brown to take more time adjusting to the NFL. Brown ended up playing 22 percent of the defensive snaps (211-of-950), and finished the year with 15 total tackles, one forced fumble and a half sack.

“Art Brown did a really good job in our nickel packages,” Harbaugh said.

Brown had to deal with the transition to the NFL that all rookies experience, and he also had to adjust to playing a new position. Brown was a hybrid inside/outside linebacker during his college career at Kansas State, so playing exclusively inside was a change for him.

“Art is a guy who’s learning a lot of football,” Harbaugh said. “He bounced [between defensive positions] a little bit in college.”

For Brown to earn a starting role next season, Harbaugh pointed to the importance for him to make strides on the mental side of the game. Inside linebackers operate as the quarterback of the defense, which makes it critical to have a grasp on the entire defense.

With a year of experience behind him, the Ravens are confident Brown can broaden his knowledge of the defense and make the necessary improvements to take on a larger role for his sophomore campaign.

“Understanding the complexity of defensive schemes in this league – at this level – is going to take him to a starting role,” Harbaugh said.