Immelman will savor dinner
Champ fights nervousness
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Come Sunday, Trevor Immelman might have the chance to become only the fourth Masters Tournament winner to repeat as champion.
But even if he gets a second green jacket, the highlight of his week would have occurred five days earlier.
Speaking to the media Tuesday, the South African said being host of the Champions Dinner later that night would be his special moment of the week. He didn't back off this sentiment afterward.
"It's going to be so great for me. It's an evening that has been written about and everybody knows about," he said. "And like I said, to be able to be in the presence of 25 or 30 great champions like that is going to be hard to beat."
He admits his stomach might not be feeling quite as pleasant when he tees off Thursday.
"Obviously I'm going to be nervous and excited and everything all at the same time," he said. "I've been announced as the Masters champion a few times, and every time it's goose-bump stuff."
The past year has been one of discovery for Immelman. He has learned that winning at Augusta means people look up to you as a role model. It also means increased demand for your time.
It also can lead to unrealistic expectations, most of which he put on himself.
Immelman, 29, said he had a bit of a letdown after the Masters because he didn't maintain the level of play that led him to shoot three rounds in the 60s and hold a share of the lead from beginning to end. Only a 75 on Sunday in blustery conditions made the final results seem closer than they were, as he won by three shots over Tiger Woods.
"I kind of felt like I could play like that every week, and it's just not possible in any sport to compete," Immelman said, then smiled before adding, "Well, you know, I guess it is, because Tiger does it. But whether he's human or not is still up for debate.
"I left this tournament thinking, well, I found the secret, and I'm going to play like this every week. And when I didn't, I think I just started putting too much pressure on myself, and I think it took me some time to kind of figure all that out and then move on."
He said it's likely South Africa won't go another 30 years between Masters wins. There are too many great players from his homeland for him and Gary Player to be the only ones who can compare green coats, he said.
"All of those guys have already finished second here," Immelman said about compatriots such as Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Tim Clark and Rory Sabbatini. "They obviously know what it takes, and they have got what it takes. It's just like I said, it's the roll of the dice.
"It was fantastic for me to be the second South African to have won. Hopefully that breaks the seal and gets some more of the guys out here."
Reach Mike Wynn at (706) 823-3218 or mike.wynn@augustachronicle.com.
IMMELMAN'S MENU
"I put a lot of thought into it," Trevor Immelman said of his Champions Dinner menu Tuesday. "I wanted to have a South African flair, because obviously it had been 30 years since we had a South African win. I wanted to do that as well as keep it simple."
- South African spinach salad: goat cheese, tomatoes, kalamata olives, pine nuts, avocado, bell peppers and sprouts with a balsamic or Vidalia onion vinaigrette. - Babotie with yellow rice: traditional curried meat with fruit -- "Once the meat is cooked in the spices, a very thin layer of egg is put on top of it and then baked, and then you eat it with yellow rice, and it's very flavorful."
- Chicken sosaties: grilled chicken and vegetables on skewers
- Melktert: Traditional milk tart -- "Very traditional South African, Afrikaans dessert which is sort of the same consistency and style as like pumpkin pie almost, except the main ingredient is milk. It's fantastic."
- South African wines
-- Scott Michaux, staff writer
