AN unflinching Trevor Immelman won the Masters on Sunday by showing true grit and determination, as all the other hopefuls around him crumbled, by doing what his lifelong golf idol told him to do.
He listened to a voicemail message left by his idol, fellow South African Gary Player, on Saturday night, and it helped Immelman prepare for what he needed to do for his final round on Sunday. Gary’s advice to Trevor was to keep his head a little quieter when putting.
He told him: “Just go out there and be strong through adversity, because adversity would come today, and I just had to deal with it.”
He dealt with it. He shot 75, the highest final round by a winner since Arnold Palmer in 1962, beating back challenges from Tiger Woods -- whose 72 moved him into second place -- Brandt Snedeker and Steve Flesch.
The European challenge at the Masters collapsed alarmingly in Sunday’s final round, leaving Nick Faldo, the watching Ryder Cup skipper, with cause for concern.
Five Englishmen: Paul Casey, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Nick Dougherty, had been in contention to win the year’s first major at the halfway stage, although by the end of the third round, only Casey realistically remained.
Casey felt he had the game to gain the first victory by a European since José Maria Olazábal in 1999 and the first victory by an Englishman since the last of Faldo’s three titles in 1996, but after a birdie on the third hole he collapsed.
Five straight bogeys from the fourth saw Casey out of the running, and he eventually limped in with a knee-trembling 79. Casey was in reflective mood afterwards.
A superb finish by Miguel Ángel Jiménez mastered the tricky winds at Augusta, and he posted an impressive final-round 68 to complete an admirable comeback.
Jiménez opened with a five-over-par 77, qualifying for weekend play on the cut line. His four-under round in gusty winds was the best of the day and gave him a one-under 287 total for a tie for eighth place.
“It was very satisfying,” Jiménez, a 44-year-old European Ryder Cup veteran, told reporters. “That was the goal, no? Just to make the cut on Friday and then hope to jump up as much as possible.”
This month’s golf news was supplied by The Inland Golf Society.
Our goal with the Inland Golf Society is not only to give local golfers discounted green fees, along with quality golf in a friendly atmosphere, but to also invite holiday golfers. The society is free to join.
We also have 10 years experience in the golf industry here on the Costa del Sol with our sister company, TSS www.travelservicesspain.com, booking hotels, transfers and tee times.
We also have a resident pro working out from La Noria driving range so we can offer group (needs to be pre-booked) or individual lessons to help improve the chances of winning one of the prizes we offer after each outing by our sponsors:
Roberto’s friendly bar in Coin, Prime Cuts for all your meat, Alhaurin, Bobs locks, Casey’s Irish Wine Bar, Coin, B-met Airport Transfers, Alhaurin.
They very kindly supply the prizes, which are for first and second, nearest to the pin, longest drive and with the ball needing to be on the green we also have a furthest from the pin.
There is also a ‘better luck next time’ prize which includes a free lesson.
We play normal stableford for the most part, but do on occasions play texas scramble for the difficult courses such as Alhaurin or Monte Mayor, and from June 1 we will be starting our summer match play league, so make sure you put your name down for that one.
Please see our ad in the magazine for more information.
Keep hitting them well, and enjoy your golf with Inland Golf Society.
Russell and Ian
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