Trevor Immelman survived a double bogey at the 16th hole to become the first South African to win the US Masters in 30 years with a three-stroke victory on Sunday.
Maintaining his composure in swirling winds at Augusta National, the dapper 28-year-old got up and down from a greenside bunker to par hole 17 before parring the last to seal his first major title.
2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson puts the green jacket on 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman of South Africa after winning the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday in Augusta, Georgia. AFP
Two ahead overnight, Immelman followed in the footsteps of his childhood hero Gary Player to secure the prized green jacket with a 3-over-par 75, matching the highest closing score by a Masters winner set by Arnold Palmer in 1962.
He also became the fifth wire-to-wire champion at Augusta, and the first since American Raymond Floyd in 1976, with an 8-under total of 280.
World No 1 Tiger Woods, overwhelming favorite at the start of the week after winning nine times in his previous 11 tournaments worldwide, had to settle for second place after closing with a 72.
Six strokes off the pace going into the final round, Woods struggled to make headway in his bid for a 14th major title and the first hurdle of a unique calendar grand slam.
"It was a tough day out there and I was just trying to be tough," a beaming Immelman said after being presented with his green jacket by last year's champion, American Zach Johnson.
"That's all I kept saying to myself, just hang in there and play one shot at a time. There's a disaster around every corner, as I showed on 16. I just tried to hang in there and I'm proud of myself for doing that. I can't believe I did it."
Immelman said he had gained a major boost from Player after Saturday's third round when the 72-year-old left him a telephone message saying he was confident the young South African would win.
"It meant an awful lot," he added. "I played it to my whole family on speaker phone. Mr Player has been at me the whole week, since Tuesday when we played together, telling me to believe in myself, telling me I'm good enough to do it."
Calendar slam
Woods offset three birdies with three bogeys to finish at 5-under 283, dashing his bid for a sweep of this year's four majors.
"I didn't putt well all week," the four-time Masters champion said. "You have bad weeks and you have good weeks, and certainly this week was not one of my best."
Immelman, who four months ago had surgery to remove a non-cancerous tumor on his diaphragm, was caught by American playing partner Brandt Snedeker after two holes.
Both players bogeyed the par-4 first after failing to reach the green in two before the mop-haired Snedeker rolled in a 40-footer to eagle the par-5 second.
Immelman, aiming to become the first South African to win the Masters since Player in 1978, parred the hole after failing to get up and down from the right greenside bunker for birdie.
Although Immelman birdied the par-4 fifth after hitting a superb approach to four feet, he squandered an opportunity to forge five ahead when he narrowly missed a three-foot birdie putt at the seventh.
The South African dropped another shot at the par-5 eighth where he was bunkered off the tee before three-putting from long range, but did well to save par at the ninth with an up-and-down from the left greenside bunker.
Out in 1-over-par 37, he traded a bogey at the treacherous 12th with his birdie at the 13th to stay well ahead of his challengers.
Although he pulled his tee shot into the pond guarding the left of the 16th green on his way to a double-bogey 6, he held his nerve over the closing stretch to win the biggest title of his career.
Snedeker and fellow American Stewart Cink finished tied third, a shot behind Woods, with world No 2 Phil Mickelson, British Open champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland and American Steve Flesch a further two strokes adrift.
(Agencies April 15, 2008)