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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > April > 13
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Immelman win was a fluke
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Augusta — Stuff happens, even if you’re Tiger Woods. But he usually is immune to stuff. That’s why hole after hole on Sunday, with relentless wind gusts turning heavenly Augusta National into golfing purgatory on earth, everybody kept waiting for two things that never happened.
Let’s just say Woods somehow didn’t create enough ways to win the 72nd Masters, and Trevor Immelman somehow didn’t create enough ways to lose it. Both things were remarkable, especially when it comes to what was a toothless Tiger for most of the brisk afternoon, but both things mean nothing in the long run.
All Immelman did was become the latest nice story out of nowhere to wear a green jacket for likely the only time in his 28-year-old life. There are so many chapters to this story. He spent last year’s Masters munching only on toast during the four days courtesy of a stomach virus. Later that winter, he had a cancer scare.
Then you have that Gary Player connection: Immelman’s idol from his native South Africa once took a picture with a 5-year-old Immelman. It also was 30 years ago that Player won his third and last Masters.
Some nice stories at the Masters only last for a while, though. Just ask Zach Johnson, last year’s champion out of nowhere. He enjoyed a year of sitting on the couches of late night talk shows and exchanging handshakes with gawking strangers before spending this year’s Masters sliding back into the shadows of the Georgia pines throughout Bobby Jones’ famous playground.
This is more about Woods than Immelman, though. When it comes to the Masters and any major tournaments, this is always about Woods. Said Stewart Cink about the Tiger effect at tournaments, “It’s like trying to breath air at the top of Mount Everest. There’s not a lot of it left over.”
This will make Woods angry. This also will make Woods better. So, if you’re wondering where the world’s best golfer goes from here after boldly stating that winning all four majors this year was “easily within reach,” he still is a mighty favorite to complete the three-quarters Grand Slam after the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA championship.
“I learned my lesson there with the press,” said Woods, forcing a laugh at the 18th green after another ugly putting day within Richmond County. He finished 5-under-par for the tournament after shooting a 72-71-68-72 284, and get this: While watching (and maybe fuming) in the clubhouse, he saw that he was within a few missed putts away from Immelman, who predictably crumbled a bit down the stretch. Said Woods, “It’s one of those things, when you’re out there playing, you couldn’t care less (about what people think of your comments). You’re just trying to win a golf tournament. You just try to put yourself in a position, which I did.”
Woods just couldn’t find miracles or birdies in his putter. While Immelman had nothing to do with Woods’ inability to sink putts beyond 10 feet, Immelman did have much to do with Woods’ inability to produce miracles. That’s because Immelman had used all the miracles up.
Not only for Woods, but for everybody else in the Masters.
Just five months ago, Immelman was recovering from a surgery in his native South Africa after the discovery of a cancerous growth in his back. He eventually lost 25 pounds. So, after the second day of what would become his four days of doing a rarity by leading the Masters from wire-to-wire, he said of his physical ordeal, “You know, it definitely gives you perspective, because I went from winning a tournament to lying in a hospital bed waiting for results on a tumor. So it definitely made me realized that golf wasn’t my whole life.”
In contrast, golf really is Woods’ whole life, which is why the rest of his peers better enjoy this while they can.
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