Capelle On Golf

2008 Masters Coverage - thru 4/15

Sunday was a big day for South Africa. First, CBS lead off with a tribute to Gary Player’s come from behind win 30 years ago. Then fellow South African Trevor Immelman, who has idolized Player since age five, stepped to the first tee of the Masters with a two shot lead over Brandt Snedeker.

Over the succeeding five hours Immelman battled Augusta National, a host of challengers including Tiger Woods, and his inner demons to capture his first major. At the end of the day he was last seen in Butler Cabin donning the Green Jacket, becoming a member of golf’s most exclusive club.

Experts Overlook Immelman
Most of the pre tourney talk was about Tiger Woods’ chances for winning the Grand Slam, as if the Masters was a mere stepping stone on the way to golf’s greatest achievement. And then there were the usual list of suspects by the usual group of experts – none of which included Immelman.

So how come no one saw this coming. Easy. You don’t expect someone throwing gutter balls to up and bowl a 300. Following surgery to remove a tumor in his back four months ago, Immelman went right back to work against doctor’s orders, and his play was a disaster. In stroke play events on the PGA Tour this year he’d missed four cuts, including one at last week’s Shell-Houston Open. In the other three stroke play events his best finish was a 40t.

The Magic Appears
But golfers are a funny lot. When off their game, each lives in hope that the magic will suddenly appear. On the eve of the 1965 Masters Jack Nicklaus was closing his shoulders on his backswing and was spraying the ball everywhere. Deane Beman spotted the flaw, Nicklaus corrected it, and he went on to win by nine shots. I don’t know what was wrong with Immelman’s game, but he went from struggling to make cuts to a world beater in four days time.

By the time the announcers got a hold of Immelman, his rebirth was so complete, his balls striking and his swing so superb, that he was being compared to THE Ben Hogan. According to Nick Faldo, and pictures confirmed this, both players end up in the same happy slot at the end of their follow through. Jim Nantz later added, “A lot of guys will tell you the two best swings are Trevor and Woods.”

If Immelman continues to drive the ball as well as he did at Augusta, the comparisons with the super accurate Hogan would seem more appropriate. The only time I saw Immelman in the forest was on the first hole Sunday. By comparison, I witnessed six of Woods’ Forest Finders during the event, and I was privy to less than half of his tee shots.

Woods’ Putter Sputters
Woods wore his customary red shirt, but it was mostly covered by a black pullover, which may have robbed him of his powers. It didn’t have to be this way if the game’s best putter had only putted like it. But he didn’t. His woes with the flat stick started on four when he missed a four foot par putt after a meticulously played bunker shot.

On the eighth his makeable 18 footer wasn’t even close. He did roll in a big breaking 45 footer on 11 that elicited a roar from Amen Corner. On 12 he pocketed a testy six footer for par. Then his putter’s wheels fell off. After a magnificent pitch to five feet on 13, he missed. A three putt followed on 14. On 15 he missed a 10 foot birdie putt. The bleeding was complete following a missed seven foot birdie putt on 16. He parred 17, then holed a 15 footer for birdie on 18 to finish at -5.

Immelman Closes the Deal
Immelman, who was standing on the 16th tee at -10, decided to inject a little excitement into the proceedings. He pulled his tee shot into the lake, then made a three on his second ball for a double bogey. Now he was at -8, and his lead over Tiger was down to three with two to play. After driving just off the fairway at 17, he bunkered his second shot. With the voice of Gary Player, golf’s all time best bunker artist, perhaps playing in his head, he blasted to within three feet for a par. He closed out a three shot win with a solid fairway and green par on the home hole.

So, golf has a new major winner, the fifth one to win his first and only Grand Slam title at Tiger’s expense. I’m still not sure if Zach Johnson’s major was his first and last, but I have a good feeling about the 28-year-old Immelman. He’s been grooming himself for this his whole life, he has an incredible support system in his family and friends, and he’s broken the ice. Besides, how can you discount the possibilities of a player who’s swing has been compared favorably to Ben Hogan’s, and who gets his mental game counseling from Gary Player, golf’s ultimate fighter.

The Oddsmakers are on the Money
It’s fun to check in with the good folks at Ladbrokes, the ones who put their money where their mouths are. Going into the final round, Immelman was their favorite at 6/5, which proved to be a good call. They had Woods second at 7/2, and darned if he didn’t sneak into solo second. As for the other three players ahead of Woods, Ladbrokes showed little confidence in their chances, and that prediction also proved to be correct as they imploded one by one.

Brandt Snedeker, who went off at 5/1, bogeyed eight of 14 holes on his way to a 77. Paul Casey, who was listed at 16/1, skied to a 79. Steve Flesch, the long shot of the group, went off at 33/1. He was solid as a rock until he plunked his tee shot into Rae’s creek on 12 and made a double. He followed this with bogeys on 14-17 for a big fat 78.

Lest I forget, Phil Mickelson shot an even par 72 on a day when par was a great score, and snuck his way into a tie for fifth. This is his best performance in a major since Winged Foot. Furthermore, he tied for second in GIR, which bodes well for the future. Like Tiger, his putting was his big downfall.