Augusta — The last five months have been one wild ride for Trevor Immelman. One day he's winning the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa, the next week he's in the hospital awaiting diagnosis and removal of a benign tumor. The unexpected conclusion to his comeback came Sunday, when Immelman had his arms draped through a green jacket that comes along with winning the Masters.

Someone call Disney; there's got to be a movie in there somewhere.

Ben Gray/AJC (ENLARGE)

Trevor Immelman celebrates sinking his final putt Sunday to win the 2008 Masters Tournament at Augusta National. Immelman became the first South African champion since Gary Player won the last of his three championships in 1978.

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"It's been the ultimate roller-coaster ride and I hate roller coasters," Immelman said. "Here I am after missing the cut last week, Masters champion. It's is the craziest thing I've ever heard of."

Immelman, 28, won it with a 75, the highest final-round score posted by a winner since Arnold Palmer won his third of four Masters with the same number in 1962. Immelman became the first wire-to-wire winner since Raymond Floyd in 1976. He became the second South African winner and the first since Gary Player won his last of three titles in 1978.

His Sunday round, contested in gusty, swirling winds that played havoc with hats and hairpieces, was solid until the 16th hole. There, with a five-shot lead, Immelman struck his worst shot of the day. It landed in the pond, led to a double-bogey and gave a glimmer of hope to his closest pursuers. The prospect of a record collapse was enhanced at No. 17 when Immelman's approach hit a green-side bunker. But a nice up-and-down there and a splendid tee shot at No. 18 dismissed any remaining crazy talk.

By the home stretch the fans had embraced Immelman like a bucket of KFC at a Baptist homecoming dinner. He wasn't watching the scoreboards, but admitted, "I felt I was doing OK, because even though I made a double, people were clapping for me."

Immelman's winning score was 280, the lowest since Augusta National was elongated in 2006. Accuracy was his ally; Immelman hit 85 percent of his fairways and 10 of 14 on Sunday. It allowed him to turn aside four challengers who began the day within six shots.

Brandt Snedeker, Steve Flesch, Paul Casey and the Grand-Slammed Tiger Woods all had their opportunities, only to have Immelman endure all assaults.

Snedeker, who shot 77 and tied for third, drew even with Immelman with an eagle at No. 2. But wild shots finally got the best of him, the deepest cut coming at No. 13, where his bold approach hit the water and cost him a bogey. Snedeker finished 4 under and wept after the round.

Flesch kept churning out pars until the back nine, when his tee shot at the par-three 12th hit the water and led to a double bogey. He closed with a 78 and tied for fifth.

Casey, the Ryder Cup veteran, was pressure-tested, but wilted on the front nine. A double-bogey at the par-three fourth sent him spinning to a front-nine 41. He wound up tied for 11th after a 79.

The biggest disappointment came from Woods, who had a terrible week on the greens. He continued the trend of missing makeable birdie putts and wound up with a 72, good for an unfulfilling second place tie with Duluth's Stewart Cink.

"You're trying to putt yourself in position, which I did," Woods said. "I just didn't make the putts I needed to make this entire week. I had the speed right, I just didn't quite get the line right."

Perhaps Hootie Johnson got it right when he had the course Tiger-proofed. After winning four times in his first nine trips as a professional, Woods is winless in the last three tournaments. And only one of his 12 rounds during that span has been in the 60s.

"It's never easy to win a major in any era, but you know, I'm playing in the Tiger Woods Era," Immelman said. "To win a major while he'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."