Immelman gets mixed reaction at home

Published on Tuesday 15 April 2008 23:42

TREVOR Immelman's Masters victory at Augusta National failed to create much of a splash back home in South Africa.

The 28-year-old Immelman tapped in his winning putt to hold off runner-up Tiger Woods at about 2:30am on Monday – after most people, and papers, had gone to bed.

Still, Johannesburg daily The Citizen led its front page with the headline "Super Immelman wins Masters." The Cape Times, near Immelman's home town of Somerset West, also found space on its front page.

However, Johannesburg daily The Star led with a robbery committed in the city's high court buildings, relegating Immelman to a front page basement piece headlined "Immelman masters art of taming Tiger." The Pretoria News carried a local cricket story on its front page.

Immelman lives in Florida, but he is two-time champion of the South African Open. His last victory before the Masters came in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City last November.

While there was a mixed reaction from the nation's press, some people in South Africa are already awaiting Immelman's triumphant return to his homeland. "I am going to strongly recommend a civic reception hosted by the city," Cape Town mayoral committee member Simon Grindrod said. "Our champion golfer must come and show off his green jacket to his proud fellow Capetonians."

It is not the first time Immelman has commanded the respect of his countrymen, having won the WGC World Cup with Rory Sabbatini in 2003 for South Africa. He is the fourth man from the rainbow nation to win a major. Gary Player won nine majors, including three green jackets, while Ernie Els has won the Open and two US Opens and Retief Goosen two US Opens.