US Masters:WITH ONE deed, his life changed. Forever. Yesterday morning, Trevor Immelman woke up as a major champion. Philip Reid Golf Correspondent reports from Augusta
Rather startlingly, in this dominant era of Tiger Woods and all the pre-Masters talk of the world's number one chasing Grand Slams as if by birthright, Immelman's victory at Augusta National - meaning he is the only player potentially able to win the Slam this year - was the fourth by a first-timer in the last five majors.
So, it would seem, other players - some of the unexpected variety - have taken up the challenge posed by Woods's dominance. In Immelman's case, it was always felt that this latest product of the South African conveyor belt of talent had the game to win a major; it's just the timing, coming after an illness-ravaged year, which was so unexpected.
"I don't think it is easy to win a major in any era," said Immelman, "but I'm playing in Tiger Woods's era. The guy boggles my mind. I'm an avid sport watcher, an avid sports fan. I study top sportsmen, and this guy is frightening in what he gets done and how he gets it done. To win 13 majors at the age of 32 is frightening.
"To win a major title while Tiger's playing, and he's playing at his peak . . . it's a hell of an achievement. I'm not sure if I'll ever get it done again, but I'll be trying my best," added the man who led the tournament through each round.
Immelman, who suffered from a parasitic infection for much of 2007 when he lost 20 pounds in weight, and then last December underwent surgery for a tumour near his rib cage, eventually finished with three shots to spare over Woods. The world's top player insisted afterwards he wouldn't ever address the Grand Slam issue again, saying: "I learned my lesson there . . . it's just one of those things, when you're out there playing, you couldn't care less (about the Slam). You're trying to win a golf tournament."
Now, though, it is Immelman alone who heads to the US Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego in June as the only player who can entertain the dream held so dearly by Woods. The season's other majors are the British Open at Royal Birkdale in July and the US PGA at Oakland Hills in Detroit in August. Immelman is familiar with the course: he won the US Public Links amateur championship there in 1998.
Pádraig Harrington, one of three first-time major winners last year, along with Zach Johnson (Masters) and Angel Cabrera (US Open), believed the win would only improve Immelman.
"You know, he's a good player and a nice guy. He has put the work in. I think sometimes Trevor has been burdened with his ability," observed Harrington, "and winning a major might allow him to stand back and acknowledge how good he is so that he can move on from here. It should help his self-confidence."
Of the anticipated changes, Immelman claimed: "I'm going to try and take it in my stride. I'm going to try and do all the right things and to be a great role model to young kids out there. That's all I can do."
Immelman - who closed with a final round 75 for 280, earned $1.3 million (€800,000) for his win, which also moved him to 15th in the latest official world rankings and to the top of the PGA European Tour money list.
The 28-year-old's win ended a barren spell of near-misses by South Africans in the Masters, since Gary Player's third green jacket win in 1978. Since then, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Tim Clark and Rory Sabbatini have all finished runners-up.
Much of Immelman's early inspiration came from Player. There are photos of him as a five-year-old with the legendary "Black Knight", and Immelman remarked, "I think Gary realised at a young age I had so much passion for the game. After I turned pro, he was there for a kick in the butt when I wasn't playing well or when he saw something he didn't like that I was doing . . . to have somebody with that much experience on your side, giving you advice is just incredible."
Even more incredible is Immelman's recovery from surgery over the winter to the point where he has become a major champion.
"One minute, the week before I'm winning a golf tournament and the next week I'm lying in a hospital bed. You realise it just can get taken away so fast; and if you don't enjoy every step of the way, you might regret it, and that would be sad to regret a talent that you were given.
"I've always dreamed about winning majors, and deep down, I always thought I was good enough. At times you obviously doubt yourself, because you miss a few cuts and you screw up a few times and you're just like, 'man, maybe I'm not as good, or not good enough'.
"But obviously, this is a tremendous confidence boost, and now that I know I have got one under my belt, all I can do is go out there and prepare well for the majors from now on, and just try my best. I'm definitely not going to sit back and go, 'okay, that's me, I'm done', if that's the answer you're looking for.
"I'm going to keep working hard and trying to make the most of what I've been given."
