South Africans have played a large role in the Masters Tournament since Gary Player won at Augusta National Golf Club in 1961.

Trevor Immelman is competing in his fifth Masters. His best year, 2005, he placed tied for fifth. He missed the cut in 2006. (Rainier Ehrhardt/Staff)

Player, now 71, went on to win three green jackets, and though the second generation of South African stars (37-year-old Ernie Els and 38-year-old Retief Goosen) haven't won here, they have come close, and still have the game to win.

Els was the Masters runner-up in 2000 and 2004, and Goosen finished second in 2002.

But the next wave of South Africans, headed by 27-year-old Trevor Immelman and 31-year-old Tim Clark, might beat them to their country's next green jacket.

Clark, playing in just his fourth Masters, was the runner-up in 2006. Immelman, a four-time Masters participant, finished tied for fifth in 2005.

"They are the three people I've looked up to in my career," Immelman said, referring to Player, Els and Goosen. "If people think I'm good enough to do what they've done, that's a compliment to me.

"Those are big shoes to fill - Gary Player, Ernie and Retief are multiple major winners, and that's something I'm striving to do," Immelman said. "I'm trying to work hard, and hopefully things will go my way."

Immelman has known Els and Goosen for years. He met them when his older brother, Mark, played amateur golf with them in South Africa.

"I was fortunate to meet Ernie and Retief from a very young age and watch them grow up and play," Immelman said. "They've taken me under their wings a little bit and showed me the ropes when I started playing in Europe and then started playing here (in the United States)."

"I've known Trevor since he was 4, 5, 6 years old," Els said. "He was a kid from near Cape Town, and whenever I played tournaments in Cape Town he was always there and always trying to learn. And from a very young age, he was a huge talent. The whole of South Africa knew him from when he was 6 or 7, almost like a Tiger Woods.

"His game has really come on, especially the last year. He's coming through nicely now."

Trevor Immelman is competing in his fifth Masters. His best year, 2005, he placed tied for fifth. He missed the cut in 2006. (Rainier Ehrhardt/Staff)

Clark, meanwhile, had a memorable week in the 2006 Masters. He opened with rounds of 70-72-72 and trailed third-round leader Phil Mickelson by two shots entering the final round.

Clark then went out and beat his playing partner, Tiger Woods, by a shot with 69, closing his round by holing a shot from a greenside bunker for birdie on No. 18.

Clark wasn't supposed to be able to score like he did on the latest version of Augusta National, which had added 155 yards for 2006, bringing its total yardage to 7,445.

"I'd have to say I hit a lot of great iron shots," said Clark, who briefly held the tournament lead during Sunday morning's completion of the rain-delayed third round. "My iron game was there, and for most of the tournament I drove the ball well. I put it in the fairway, and that gave me a chance to get on the greens."

"Tim Clark is certainly not considered a long hitter, but he's able to get it out there and he's a great ball striker," Mickelson said. "He's able to hit shots into those greens and get them close."

Clark followed his Masters run with a tie for seventh place the next week at Hilton Head Island, S.C., and finished 32nd on the money list. Clark, in his seventh year on the PGA Tour, has three international victories but is still looking for his first PGA Tour title.

Immelman has already won on the tour. It came in last year's Western Open, which propelled him to a seventh-place finish on the money list and rookie of the year honors.

"People have asked whether winning a major is the next step for me," Immelman said. "Obviously, that would be the ultimate. It's what I've set out to do since I was a young kid. It's pretty much the dream.

"But I think winning on tour in general is my next step. Obviously, the Masters is high on my list."

Immelman said the Masters and the British Open were the top tournaments to watch when he was growing up in South Africa, and they are his favorites today.

"Augusta National has a really special place in my heart, as it does for most people," Immelman said. "Over the years some of the changes have been quite interesting to me where they might have made it a little too long where they didn't need to."

Regardless, Immelman said, "It's always fun to get down there and become a part of history."

Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.