The 2011 Masters champion carded a final round of two under par 70 to win by four strokes of France’s Benjamin Herbert for a tournament tally of 15 under par.

Schwartzel took the lead from Christiaan Basson during the second round and never looked back as he won the tournament a fourth time. The win is one for the record books for Schwartzel who has become the first South African to win the same European Tour tournament four times.

He is the latest South African to win 10 European Tour titles after Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. He now tops the list of South African winners on tournaments co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour and European Tour with seven wins, one more than the Big Easy.

Schwartzel says his hard work over the paid 18 months has paid off with the win.

"But we've put in so much hard work in the last 18 months and it's frustrating when week-in, week-out you're playing and it feels like it's never going to turn.

"This place has treated me really well. I got my first win here and now my tenth, so I think it's pretty fitting.

"I wish we could play some Majors here. It's definitely my favourite place, I love coming here and I love the golf course."

Schwartzel will be teeing it up this week at the Nedbank Golf Challenge which starts on Thursday at Sun City.

Morgan Piek/OFM News

Photo: Charl Schwartzel - Jan Kruger