It’s fairly common to see long odds players do better than expected in golf, but it’s much less common for them to go on and win major tournaments.
Before the 2008 Masters, Trevor Immelman had pulled out of the 2007 South African Airways Open after experience severe discomfort around his ribcage which had impacted his breathing.
Obviously a cause for concern, he was examined by doctors who worryingly found a lesion on his diaphragm which was, ironically, about the size of a golf ball.
Luckily, the tumour was benign, but Immelman needed surgery to have it removed, and that meant no golf for at least 8 weeks.
By the time he arrived at Augusta for the Masters 4 months later, he was ranked 1,673rd in the world, so actually, the 150/1 odds he was given must have looked pretty good all things considered.
Immelman had taken part in the Houston Open as his first step back into competitive golf, and had missed the cut by just a single shot, but he later said that something “clicked” during that competition, so he went into the Masters feeling on top of his game.
How Immelman Won the 2008 Masters
From the onset, Immelman was looking good. He started strongly in the first round with a score of 68 (-4), immediately positioning himself at the top of the leaderboard, albeit tied with Justin Rose. It could be argued that he was helped by the fact that it was almost dark by the time the players in the final few groups took their turns – 18 players shot sub-par rounds and even Tiger Woods only managed to score even par – but still, 68 was a good score.
He continued his impressive form in the second round, putting any claims of ‘luck’ to bed, and matching his earlier score with another 68 (-4), solidifying his lead and setting the pace for the field. His biggest rival at this point was Brandt Snedeker
Immelman’s ability to navigate the demanding Augusta National Golf Club course with precision became more evident on the Saturday. Immelman shot a very respectable 69 (-3) in the third round, a score which a few other players matched but no one beat, meaning he maintained his grip on the lead, heading into the final day as the frontrunner with an overall score of 205 (-11) – a two stroke lead on Snedeker who was still in second place.
The fourth and final round was actually Immelman’s worst, but his earlier lead provided him with a buffer against his closest competitors. He recorded a score of 75 (+3) after a double bogey on the 16th, but luckily, his closest rivals also struggled and actually did worse. A late surge by Tiger Woods gave Immelman the biggest cause for concern, but he ultimately fell short finishing three strokes behind Immelman at 5-under 283.
Throughout the tournament, Immelman’s consistent performance was marked by his proficiency with irons and his adeptness in handling the challenging greens, allowing him to sustain his position at the top of the leaderboard from the very beginning, and securing him the green jacket as well as the $1,350,000 prize.