 The defending champion at this year’s Nedbank Golf Challenge returns to Sun City a
very different golfer this year; he returns as a major champion.
It is difficult to believe that a year ago Trevor Immelman received his invitation to
compete in Africa’s Major due to one of two late withdrawals by Sergio Garcia and
Padraig Harrington.
True to form, he grabbed that opportunity with aplomb, thrilling the packed galleries
during his absorbing duel with Justin Rose that went all the way to the 72nd hole before
it produced another South African winner for the Challenge.
Buoyed by his victory over an impressively strong field, Immelman made his way to the
SAA Open at Pearl Valley as one of the firm favourites, brimming with confidence and
eyeing a third national title.
Early in his first round, however, Immelman was forced to withdraw from the tournament,
hampered by a strange affliction that made breathing difficult and caused him extreme
chest pain.
Within a matter of days he had undergone surgery to remove a benign tumour from his
ribcage and was forced to sit out some of the early tournaments in 2008 as he recovered
from the worrying injury.
He returned to action on the PGA Tour in February at the FBR Open, looking to try and
build some form going into the year’s first Major, The Masters at Augusta National.
Immelman had many fond memories of Augusta, having made the cut as an amateur in 1999
– having qualified as US Public Links champion – and having aced the par-3
sixteenth hole in the final round in 2005 on his way to a tie for fifth place, then his
best finish in a Major.
But the surgery and recovery appeared to have taken its toll, with his form
inconsistent as he approached The Masters, his ninth start of the year. Few, not least
Immelman himself, could have predicted what would transpire.
In wicked final day conditions, Immelman’s closing round of 75, 3-over par, was
enough to secure a three stroke victory over world number one Tiger Woods in an event in
which he either owned or shared the lead after each round. His fourth round 75 tied the
highest final round by a winner in Masters history, Arnold Palmer having achieved the same
in treacherous winds back in 1962.
The days and weeks immediately following that victory were something of a blur for
South Africa’s fifth Major champion; every prime time talk show host wanted a piece
of him, he was guest of honour at a Knicks NBA game at Madison Square Garden and he became
public property in America almost overnight.
Small wonder, then, that his form on the golf course suffered for some time. After a
string of understandable sub-standard performances, Immelman stepped back into form two
months after The Masters with a tie for second at the Stanford St Jude Championship.
Showing typical fighting spirit, he birdied the final two holes of regulation play to get
into a playoff with Justin Leonard and Robert Allenby, eventually won by Leonard.
His form towards the end of the US season improved with almost every outing, as he
contested all four of the FedEx Cup playoff events, finishing strongly with a tie for 13th
at the BMW Championship and a tie for 10th at the season-ending Tour Championship.
The only South African to have won the Masters other than Gary Player, Immelman
received a message of encouragement from the Black Knight the night before the final round
which he says provided all the inspiration he needed to ‘finish the job’. He was
also the first player since Player to win back-to-back SA Open titles.
The signs are that, at the Gary Player Country Club, it would be brave to bet against a
repeat from the top-ranked South African in the field. | 
