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It’s been nearly a decade since an Australian made a serious run at winning the Masters, but another southern hemisphere nation with a rich golfing tradition is making a habit of contending for the green jacket.
Five times in the past six years a South African has finished runner-up at Augusta National, and this may finally be the year a Springbok goes one better, with Trevor Immelman taking a two-stroke lead into the final round.
Immelman would obviously love to become the second South African Master, joining three-time winner Gary Player, but with 18 demanding holes to be negotiated, was not exactly counting his chickens.
On a day when the Australians surrendered any faint chance of victory, Immelman broke clear with a near-flawless three-under-par 69 in relatively benign conditions at Augusta National.
As well as he played, he also had a little help from the golfing gods as his ball at the par-five 15th somehow defied gravity and stayed out of the pond guarding the green.
His pitch shot landed on the green, but took too much backspin, sucking off the putting surface and down the slope, seemingly destined for a watery grave.
But earlier rain had taken the fire out of the closely-shaven grass and his ball somehow trickled to a halt on dry land, from where he salvaged a par.
“I was begging it to stop as soon as it could,” said 28-year-old Immelman. “I knew there was a chance it was going in the water and I couldn’t quite believe it when it stayed up.”
Immelman was speaking after shooting 69, finishing in style with a tap-in birdie at the par-four 18th to post an 11-under 205 total with one round left.
American Brandt Snedeker, last year’s Australian Open runner-up, also closed strongly, recovering from a hat-trick of birdies through Amen Corner, to occupy second place on nine-under, while Tiger Woods was six shots back in fifth position.
After posting a 68, Woods probably thought he would be within three or four shots at day’s end, but with the wind laying down, and the greens relatively soft, Immelman and Snedeker picked up shots coming home to put some daylight between themselves and the world No. 1.
Immelman, with only one bogey through three rounds, thoroughly deserved his lead.
“My game felt pretty sharp starting out so that eased the nerves a little,” said Immelman, who has won eight tournaments worldwide, including one on the US PGA Tour.
“Once I made the birdie on (hole) eight I got into a bit of a rhythm. From the 10th hole I really controlled my ball as well as I have in the past. Under that sort of pressure, I’m really proud of myself.”
Second-placed Snedeker was certainly impressed with Immelman: “Tee to green, that’s probably as good as I’ve ever seen anyone hit a golf ball,” Snedeker said.
Woods, meanwhile, has never won a major championship after staring the final round in any position other than the lead, but there’s a first time for everything, and it’s hard to believe he will go his entire career without doing so.
The Australians, as so often the case at Augusta since Greg Norman faded from the scene after his final near-miss in 1999, were making up the numbers, with Adam Scott best placed, 11 strokes back in a tie for 19th.