Charl laid down a marker

By Mike Green Last updated: 16th March 2010

Charl Schwartzel's dream run at the WGC-CA Championship over the weekend alerted the normally insular US television commentators to something South African fans have known for a while.

As he tried to chase down a rejuvenated Ernie Els in one of the Big Easy's best performances in years, it was clear that, win or lose, the 25-year-old Schwartzel was laying down a marker.

And there was a sense that it would be sooner rather than later that he will be calling in the marker with his third victory of the year.

Even more than that, it seems certain that he will do well in one of the majors this year and herald the arrival of one of a new generation of South African golfers on the world stage.

As it is, Schwartzel is already officially one of the best players in the world under the age of 30 - and he's in very good company.

He's ranked number seven on the Official World Golf Rankings top 10 players in that category - ahead of Dustin Johnson, Alviro Quiros and Nick Watney.

Ahead of him are young players who have gripped the imagination of a new generation of golf fans around the world.

Topping the list is Germany's Martin Kaymer, who is at number seven on this week's World Rankings list and, together with Schwartzel, he is the most successful player on the list.

Like Schwartzel, he has won five times on the European Tour, but he also seems to have been largely unnoticed by US television commentators despite reaching number six in the world at one stage.

Of the other players above Schwartzel on the list, only Ross Fisher does not have the kind of profile his play would indicate he deserves: A three-time winner on the European Tour, he is nonetheless recognisable in the US as a result of his fifth place finish in The Open Championship at Turnberry last year, after which he raced off to be at the birth of his first child.

Rory McIlroy, Camilo Villegas, Hunter Mahan and Anthony Kim are all certified hot shots, and they attract the attention of fans for varying reasons.

Mahan seems to look like the future of golf to people who want the game to continue to be a conveyor belt of American champions.

But McIlroy, Villegas and Kim all break the mould.

Kim brings something to the game that people seem to be divided over: an element of risk.

Not since the arrival of John Daly has someone looked likely to attract a group of fans who fall outside the parameters likely to be acceptable to clubs like Augusta National.

McIlroy looks cuddly and is clearly number one material. He needs to add to his single European Tour win soon, though.

Villegas is clearly the real deal: His recent win in the Honda Championship was impressive, and he brings a certain something to the aesthetic side of the game which is sure to draw fans from outside the current base - whether that something is boy-band good looks, a great six-pack or amazing flexibility is not really relevant, as he can really play.

Schwartzel has all of that, even if it's latent at this point. He'll be off the wed-able list later this year, which may (or may not) spoil things, but he has an attractive sense of risk as evidenced by his love of flying and his penchant for spending recreational time in the desert or in the bush veldt.

For now, though, being ranked 27 in the world just weeks away from the first major of the year is evidence enough that he belongs on a list of the top 10 players in the world under the age of 30.

Top 10 players under 30 (world rankings in brackets)

1.Martin Kaymer, Germany (7)

2.Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland (11)

3.Camilo Villegas, Colombia (12)

4.Hunter Mahan, United States (21)

5.Ross Fisher, England (24)

6.Anthony Kim, United States (26)

7.Charl Schwartzel, South Africa (27)

8.Dustin Johnson, United States (29)

9.Alvaro Quiros, Spain (33)

10.Nick Watney, United States (34)

Mike Green