Charl Schwartzel puts himself in contention with red-hot start

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The best way to get in contention early on in the final round of the Masters is to start hitting greens and making as many big putts as you can to get within a couple shots of the leader going to the back nine.

But if you're Charl Schwartzel, you don't need a stinkin' putter to move up the leaderboard. Not when you're hitting pinpoint chips and iron shots that roll in the hole.

After missing the green on No. 1, Schwartzel hit an improbable chip that hit the bank and rolled right into the cup. It was an incredible way to start his first round.

But he wasn't done. The 26-year-old South African then one-upped the shot on one, holing out his approach shot on the third hole to tie for the lead. He went from having an outside shot at the beginning of the day to being right in the mix after a couple of holes.

I think that's what you call getting back in contention in a hurry. There's still a lot of golf to be played, but Schwartzel does have the look of a guy who should be in the mix for the rest of the day. Based on how difficult Augusta National's greens can be, he may want to consider holing as many shots as possible.

Funny thing is, Schawartzel isn't the first South African to get in contention like this on Sunday. Gary Player was seven back going into the final round in 1978. He birdied 7 of his first 10 ... and went on to win his second green jacket.