South Africans Trevor Immelman and Charl Schwartzel have been named by a US golf publication as two of the nine most obscure Masters champions.
Immelman won the 2008 Masters wire-to-wire, and not even a final round 75 could stop him from winning the year’s first Major, with Tiger Woods unable to mount a Sunday charge. Woods finished with a 72 after a birdie at the last to leave Immelman the winner by three strokes, and the second South African to win The Masters after Gary Player.
Was Immelman obscure? All five of his Sunshine Tour wins came before his Masters moment, as did his WGC-World Cup win for South Africa with partner Rory Sabbatini. He had one PGA Tour title to his name – the Cialis Western Open – which moved him into the top 15 in the official world golf rankings at the time, a ranking that might’ve been even better had he not lost three playoffs: to Jim Furyk at the Wachovia Championship in 2006, before that to Ignacio Garrido at the 2003 Volvo PGA Championship, and to Mark Foster at the Dunhill Championship in the same year.
Immelman finished 2006 in the top 10 of the PGA Tour money list, and was named Rookie of the Year, hardly a no-name brand.
Joining Immelman on the list is Charl Schwartzel, who stormed to victory in 2011 by birdieing the last four holes to beat Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott by two strokes. The 2011 edition is widely remembered for Rory McIlroy’s final round 80. The Northern Irishman led after 54 holes, but made triple bogey on 10 after a wayward drive, and then four-putted for double bogey at the short 12th hole to fade into 15th place.
Schwartzel’s win came on the 50th anniversary of Player’s 1961 triumph and he was inside the world’s top 30 at the time, to go with his six wins worldwide before his Sunday charge to the green jacket.
England’s Danny Willett and American Zach Johnson also made the list.
Read the full article HERE!
