Leader, and his game, are healthy again
AUGUSTA, Ga. - It is stretched to nearly 7,500 yards these days, though the heart and soul of the Augusta National course remains demanding elevation changes, rolling fairways, undulated greens that are frighteningly fast, and swirling winds.
All in all, it's a demanding task to navigate a competitive round at the Masters.
The only thing is, to Trevor Immelman it's a gentle walk. You'll hear no complaints from him. After the curves life has thrown at him in the last year, he feels blessed to be here at the season's first major championship. Playing well is a bonus, yes, but more than anything, the 28-year-old South African is in possession of something that is in short supply within his profession: perspective.
"You know, I went from winning a tournament to lying in a hospital bed waiting for results on a tumor," said Immelman. "It made me realize that golf wasn't my whole life."
He has sounded that theme all week and he maintained that position last evening, even after he parlayed a brilliant third-round 69 to seize a two-stroke lead in the 72d Masters. Having begun the day a stroke ahead of playing competitor Brandt Snedeker, Immelman fell behind by one before regaining control with birdies at the par-5 13th and par-4 14th, then a knee-knocking par save from 6 feet at the par-5 15th.
But if the pressure of Augusta National's infamous back nine wasn't showing on Immelman's face, there's good reason. He was prepared for this by some stunning news from doctors.
It was last December, only days after riding high with a win in the Nedbank Challenge in his home country, when Immelman didn't feel well. The stomach pain was so bad he had to withdraw from the next week's South African Airways Open. That led to a hospital stay, which led to the discovery of a tumor along his rib cage and an operation.
Fortunately for Immelman, the tumor was benign, but in some ways it put a cap on what had been a miserable year health-wise. It started at the Masters last April when Immelman fought an illness all week. Though he made the cut, rounds of 74-77-81-77 left him tied for 55th, and when he didn't feel much better the following week in Hilton Head, S.C., he saw a doctor.
It turns out Immelman had an intestinal parasite. It sidelined him for nearly a month, but even when he returned to action, he felt weak. Over his final 12 tournaments of the year, Immelman missed five cuts, had just one top-10, and slipped to 46th on the money list.
Follow that illness up with the tumor scare and, well, it served as a reminder to Immelman that he needed to reassess his life.
"I have a real passion for golf and I put a lot of hours in and made a lot of sacrifices to try and succeed at the game," said Immelman. "So, I'm definitely driven to try and achieve things. While [the illnesses] gave me perspective on the one point, I was still trying to get back to the form I was showing before it all happened."
For sure, while the form did not come around as quickly as he would have liked, Immelman has no worries about the timing of its arrival: at the Masters. Back-to-back 68s pushed Immelman to 8-under 136 and into a one-stroke lead over Snedeker.
When it was suggested to Immelman that there'd be added pressure in being the halfway leader, he disagreed. Just a few months ago he harbored fears about his health. That was nervous.
"It took a couple of weeks before I could walk again," he said. "Once I kind of worked my way through all the morphine and stuff they had me on, [my health] seemed to come back fairly quickly."
The talent has always been there. The man who won the 1998 US Amateur Public Links Championship turned pro the next year and began to hone his game in Europe and throughout Asia and his homeland. He joined the PGA Tour in 2004 and the next year he finished tied for fifth in his third Masters appearance. His only PGA Tour win came in 2006, and while his star has consistently been pumped up by none other than the great South African, Gary Player, surely today will be the brightest spotlight in which he has stepped.
But given what he's been through, he promises to enjoy the experience. "You gain confidence from playing good golf," said Immelman.
