IN THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER, THE SCHWARTZELS HAVE AN ALLY IN PHIL
HUMBLE, Texas – While Charl Schwartzel competes in this week’s LIV Golf Houston, his wife Rosalind continues her critical battle against triple-negative breast cancer at MD Anderson, the largest cancer center in the U.S. and one of the top oncology hospitals globally.
On Friday, she underwent scans, and next Monday she will have more tests and scans, as well as meet with her surgeons. She’s also scheduled for her 13th chemotherapy treatment, which may differ slightly from the previous ones due to a medication adjustment.
This weekend, she plans to attend the tournament at the Golf Club of Houston but will remain in the clubhouse due to the Texas heat. Several doctors and staff members from MD Anderson have been invited as their guests, and she looks forward to seeing them in a more casual setting.
For the South African couple, who also have a residence in Palm Beach, Florida, Houston has become their unofficial third home. Since Rosalind’s diagnosis earlier this year while Charl was competing in LIV Golf Jeddah, they’ve visited five times. They considered renting a place near the hospital but decided against uprooting their children.
MD Anderson is collaborating with doctors in Palm Beach to minimize Rosalind’s travel. However, she still has four treatments left in Houston, spaced out in three-week intervals, along with all surgeries and necessary follow-ups.
“We’ve still got a lengthy road to walk with Houston,” Charl said.
Charl has been familiar with the area long before Rosalind’s diagnosis. He first competed in the Houston Open in 2006, returned in 2010 when he and Rosalind were married and tied for third, and in 2011, he tied for 30th before winning the Masters in his next start. His last appearance in the Houston Open was in 2015. When LIV Golf announced a tournament at the Golf Club of Houston this season, Charl looked forward to returning, not knowing his first visit back would be to support his wife in her battle against cancer.
“This was a great stop for us before the Masters, but I haven’t played here for a long time,” Schwartzel said. “And then this year we started coming to Houston for the wrong reasons – or the right reasons, you could say. MD Anderson is here, and they’ve been a big part of our lives.”
They owe their connection to MD Anderson to Phil Mickelson and his wife Amy. In 2009, Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer, leading the Mickelsons to MD Anderson. Two months later, Phil’s mother Mary was also diagnosed and treated there. Both survived, and the Mickelsons became strong supporters of the cancer center.
When Phil learned about Rosalind’s condition, he wanted to offer as much help as possible. Although Phil and Charl have been competitors for nearly two decades and share dinner every April with other Masters champions, they were not particularly close.
Rosalind’s illness has strengthened their bond.
Over the past few months, Phil and Charl have had numerous discussions, with Phil offering advice, guidance, and contacts of doctors and medical staff who could assist. Charl has listened and asked questions. Their conversations are challenging, but they share a common goal – securing the best treatment to ensure Rosalind’s survival.
“We’ve had a number of conversations because it’s a long process,” Mickelson said. “You can’t rush it. You just have to go through it. There are a couple of really critical decisions early on that everyone facing this challenge has to make. Often, they’re the most critical decisions for long-term success.
“I was sharing with him some of those key things without trying to push, just to inform. Like, this is an important thing. What to look at, what information to take in, what’s ahead of you. Just sharing what the challenges are going to be.”
On Thursday, after finishing his pro-am round in Houston, Schwartzel was asked about his connection with the HyFlyers GC captain. The South African took a moment to respond, struggling to hold back the emotion that comes with deep gratitude. He knew words would not do it justice.
“I don’t really know how to say it, but I can’t thank him enough,” Schwartzel said. “He’s been a tremendous help. He put us on the right path, introduced us to the right people, and to an amazing team.”
As he does inside the ropes with fellow competitors seeking his advice as a Hall of Fame golfer, Mickelson was glad to share his insights, especially about MD Anderson.
“One thing I learned is that if you have the ability to start with the best, they [MD Anderson] are many years ahead of everyone else. The experience from a patient standpoint is so different and unique where everything is in one spot – which isn’t the case everywhere and wasn’t the case where we started.
“Having everything in-house means you have a team. You have a surgeon, a radiation oncologist, reconstruction, oncology – all right there in the same building, all sharing information. It’s just a much more cohesive experience compared to four independent practitioners.
“Also, it’s a research lab, so they’re the ones doing all the research. Even though there’s no money in research, that’s what they do. They’re learning new techniques and ways to fight the disease. Many in private practice don’t do that. So, if you have the ability to go to a place like that, it’s very advantageous for long-term success.”
When Charl and Rosalind first visited MD Anderson in Houston, they were overwhelmed by its size.
“I was dumbstruck by how big it is,” Schwartzel said. “It’s like a city. It’s enormous. Huge. You go to the blood donor facility, they give you an address, and you drive there. Or if you want to walk, you cross these bridges that just keep going. There’s a reason this is probably the best cancer facility in the world.”
Most of all, they are grateful for the treatment Rosalind receives and the friendship extended by the Mickelsons, along with Phil’s constant check-ins to ensure the process is going smoothly and to be a sounding board for a husband who can offer little more than support for his ill wife.
“I spend a lot of time talking to Phil about different things,” Schwartzel said. “We have lengthy conversations. It’s been amazing. We are so thankful for how he’s guided us and put us on the right path.
“It’s a terrible disease, and even the best doctors sometimes can’t cure it. But at least we feel like we have the best team and the best facility.”
