Trevor Immelman
Encyclopedia
Trevor John Immelman is a South Africa
n professional golf
er and winner of the 2008 Masters Tournament
.
, South Africa. Born into a golfing family (his father, Johan, is the former commissioner of the Sunshine Tour
in South Africa), he took up golf at the age of five. He attended Hottentots Holland High School
. He won the U.S. Amateur Public Links
in 1998.
, and finished tenth on the Order of Merit. He became a full member of the European Tour in 2001 and has made the top twenty of the Order of Merit three times. He has four wins on the European Tour, and in 2004 became the first man to successfully defend the South African Open title since Gary Player
in the 1970s.
In 2003 Immelman won the WGC-World Cup
for South Africa in partnership with Rory Sabbatini
. In 2005 he was a member of the losing International Team at the Presidents Cup
. He has been playing with increasing frequency on the PGA Tour
after receiving a 2 year PGA Tour exemption for 2006 and 2007 on account of this Presidents Cup appearance. In 2006 Immelman won his first PGA Tour event at the Cialis Western Open
, a result that moved him into the top 15 in the Official World Golf Rankings
. He won the Sunshine Tour
Order of Merit in 2002/03.
Immelman withdrew from the 2006 Open Championship to be present for the birth of his first child. He finished 2006 in the top 10 of the PGA Tour money list and was named Rookie of the Year. In September 2007, Trevor Immelman was picked by Gary Player
to participate in the 7th Presidents Cup
held at the Royal Montreal Golf Club
, Canada. The International team lost 14.5 to the US team's 19.5.
On 13 December 2007, Immelman withdrew from the South African Airways Open due to severe discomfort around his ribcage area and a problem breathing. He went into surgery the following Tuesday, December 18, 2007, and doctors discovered a lesion
approximately the size of a golf ball on his diaphragm
. (Immelman remarked in an interview on the obvious irony of the size of the lesion). It was diagnosed as a calcified fibrosis tumor
. After more tests they discovered that it was benign. Nevertheless, treatment and recovery caused him to miss the first eight weeks of the 2008 PGA Tour
season. However, Immelman came back to win the 2008 Masters Tournament
. Despite scoring a double bogey on the 70th hole, the par 3 16th, Immelman finished with a score of 8 under par, beating favorite Tiger Woods
by three strokes.
In June 2009, Immelman announced he would withdraw from the U.S. Open
due to tendonitis
in his left wrist and elbow, which have plagued him for much of the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
's charity golf events around the world to help raise funds for needy children's causes.
Major championship
is shown in bold.
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Professional
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er and winner of the 2008 Masters Tournament
2008 Masters Tournament
The 2008 Masters Tournament was a golf competition held at Augusta National Golf Club from April 10-13. It was the 72nd Masters Tournament, and the first major of the 2008 season. Trevor Immelman won with a score of -8 . Defending champion Zach Johnson finished tied for 20th at +3...
.
Early years
Immelman was born in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa. Born into a golfing family (his father, Johan, is the former commissioner of the Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
in South Africa), he took up golf at the age of five. He attended Hottentots Holland High School
Hottentots Holland High School
Hottentots Holland High School is an Afrikaans- and English-speaking school in the Western Cape in South Africa, situated between the towns of Somerset West and Strand. The parallel-medium, co-educational school, situated to the north of the N2 national road, was opened by Dr G. G. Cillie, Chairman...
. He won the U.S. Amateur Public Links
U.S. Amateur Public Links
The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, often referred to as the Public Links or the Publinx, is a men's amateur golf tournament, one of 10 individual amateur championships organized by the United States Golf Association. The USGA typically calls the event the U.S. Amateur Public Links, which...
in 1998.
Professional career
Immelman turned professional in 1999. In 2000 he played mainly on the second tier professional tour in Europe, the Challenge TourChallenge Tour
The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
, and finished tenth on the Order of Merit. He became a full member of the European Tour in 2001 and has made the top twenty of the Order of Merit three times. He has four wins on the European Tour, and in 2004 became the first man to successfully defend the South African Open title since Gary Player
Gary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...
in the 1970s.
In 2003 Immelman won the WGC-World Cup
WGC-World Cup
The World Cup is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the first choice players choose to compete...
for South Africa in partnership with Rory Sabbatini
Rory Sabbatini
Rory Mario Trevor Sabbatini is a South African professional golfer.Rory Sabbatini was born in Durban, South Africa. He started playing golf at age 4, but concentrated on it from age 12. He was recruited by the University of Arizona, turned professional in 1998 and joined the PGA Tour in 1999...
. In 2005 he was a member of the losing International Team at the Presidents Cup
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
. He has been playing with increasing frequency on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
after receiving a 2 year PGA Tour exemption for 2006 and 2007 on account of this Presidents Cup appearance. In 2006 Immelman won his first PGA Tour event at the Cialis Western Open
Cialis Western Open
The BMW Championship is a professional golf tournament which is the third of four FedEx Cup playoff events on the PGA Tour schedule. Introduced in 2007, the BMW Championship replaced the Western Open, a PGA Tour event which was played from 1899 to 2006...
, a result that moved him into the top 15 in the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
. He won the Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
Order of Merit in 2002/03.
Immelman withdrew from the 2006 Open Championship to be present for the birth of his first child. He finished 2006 in the top 10 of the PGA Tour money list and was named Rookie of the Year. In September 2007, Trevor Immelman was picked by Gary Player
Gary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...
to participate in the 7th Presidents Cup
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
held at the Royal Montreal Golf Club
Royal Montreal Golf Club
The Royal Montreal Golf Club is the oldest golf club in the Americas, having been founded in 1873. In that year, a small group of eight gentlemen sat in a dockside office and formed the Montreal Golf Club...
, Canada. The International team lost 14.5 to the US team's 19.5.
On 13 December 2007, Immelman withdrew from the South African Airways Open due to severe discomfort around his ribcage area and a problem breathing. He went into surgery the following Tuesday, December 18, 2007, and doctors discovered a lesion
Lesion
A lesion is any abnormality in the tissue of an organism , usually caused by disease or trauma. Lesion is derived from the Latin word laesio which means injury.- Types :...
approximately the size of a golf ball on his diaphragm
Thoracic diaphragm
In the anatomy of mammals, the thoracic diaphragm, or simply the diaphragm , is a sheet of internal skeletal muscle that extends across the bottom of the rib cage. The diaphragm separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal cavity and performs an important function in respiration...
. (Immelman remarked in an interview on the obvious irony of the size of the lesion). It was diagnosed as a calcified fibrosis tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
. After more tests they discovered that it was benign. Nevertheless, treatment and recovery caused him to miss the first eight weeks of the 2008 PGA Tour
2008 PGA Tour
The 2008 PGA Tour season ran from January 3 to November 9. The season consisted of 49 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour. There were also five unofficial events played in November and...
season. However, Immelman came back to win the 2008 Masters Tournament
2008 Masters Tournament
The 2008 Masters Tournament was a golf competition held at Augusta National Golf Club from April 10-13. It was the 72nd Masters Tournament, and the first major of the 2008 season. Trevor Immelman won with a score of -8 . Defending champion Zach Johnson finished tied for 20th at +3...
. Despite scoring a double bogey on the 70th hole, the par 3 16th, Immelman finished with a score of 8 under par, beating favorite Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
by three strokes.
In June 2009, Immelman announced he would withdraw from the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
due to tendonitis
Tendonitis
Tendinitis , meaning inflammation of a tendon , is a type of tendinopathy often confused with the more common tendinosis, which has similar symptoms but requires different treatment...
in his left wrist and elbow, which have plagued him for much of the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Personal life
Immelman married his childhood sweetheart, Carmenita, on 6 December 2003. He has frequently participated in his mentor Gary PlayerGary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...
's charity golf events around the world to help raise funds for needy children's causes.
PGA Tour wins (2)
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 Jul 2006 2006 PGA Tour The 2006 PGA Tour was the last season of the PGA Tour before the major reorganization of the season brought about by the introduction of the FedEx Cup in 2007. After being challenged by Phil Mickelson in the first half of the year, when Mickelson won his second straight major at the Masters and was... |
Cialis Western Open Cialis Western Open The BMW Championship is a professional golf tournament which is the third of four FedEx Cup playoff events on the PGA Tour schedule. Introduced in 2007, the BMW Championship replaced the Western Open, a PGA Tour event which was played from 1899 to 2006... |
2 strokes |  Tiger WoodsTiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... ,  Mathew GogginMathew Goggin Mathew Charles Goggin is an Australian professional golfer.As an amateur, Goggin won the 1995 Australian Amateur, played at Huntingdale Golf Club in Melbourne, Victoria, 2 & 1 over American Jamie Crow... |
|
| 2 | 13 Apr 2008 2008 PGA Tour The 2008 PGA Tour season ran from January 3 to November 9. The season consisted of 49 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the European Tour. There were also five unofficial events played in November and... |
Masters Tournament | 3 strokes | Tiger Woods |
European Tour wins (4)
EWLINE
|
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 Jan 2003 2003 European Tour The 2003 European Tour was the 32nd season of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2003 season consisted of 46 official money events, which included the four major championships and three World Golf Championships which were also sanctioned by the PGA Tour... |
South African Airways Open(co-sanctioned with Sunshine Tour) | Playoff |  Tim Clark |
|
| 2 | 18 Jan 2004 2004 European Tour The 2004 European Tour was the 33rd golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2004 season consisted of 45 official money events. This included four major championships and three World Golf Championships, which were also sanctioned by the PGA Tour... |
South African Airways Open(co-sanctioned with Sunshine Tour) | 3 strokes |  Alastair ForsythAlastair Forsyth -Amateur career:Forsyth was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He was a member of a winning Great Britain & Ireland Jacques Léglise Trophy team in 1994 and he won the 1996 Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship.-Professional career:Forsyth turned professional in 1998... ,  Steve WebsterSteve Webster Steve Webster is an English professional golfer.Webster was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. He finished tied for 24th place in the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews, winning the silver medal as low amateur ahead of Tiger Woods. He turned professional later that year.Webster won the 1995... |
|
| 3 | 23 May 2004 | Deutsche Bank - SAP Open TPC of Europe | 1 stroke |  Pádraig HarringtonPadraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
|
| 4 | 13 Apr 2008 2008 European Tour The 2008 European Tour was the 37th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2008 season consisted of 50 official money events, a drop of two from the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the PGA... |
Masters Tournament | 3 strokes | Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
Sunshine Tour wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 Dec 2000 | Vodacom Players Championship Vodacom Players Championship The Vodacom Players Championship was a golf tournament on the Sunshine Tour that was held in South Africa. It was founded as the FNB Players Championship in 1992 and was played for the final time in 2002. In 1996 it was also included on the schedule of the European Tour.-Winners:-External links:*... |
3 strokes | Ernie Els Ernie Els Theodore Ernest "Ernie" Els is a South African professional golfer, who has been one of the top professional players in the world since the mid-1990s. A former World No. 1, he is known as "The Big Easy" due to his imposing physical stature along with his fluid, seemingly effortless golf swing... , Titch MooreTitch Moore Trevor Richard "Titch" Moore is a South African professional golfer. He currently plays on the Sunshine Tour, where he has won seven times between 2000 and 2007.... |
|
| 2 | 26 Jan 2003 | Dimension Data Pro-Am Dimension Data Pro-Am The Dimension Data Pro-Am is one of the principal annual golf tournaments on the Southern African Sunshine Tour. It was played in 2009 at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa, with a prize fund in 2008 of 1.8 million rand. In 2011, the tournament will be played from February 17-20... |
1 stroke | Andrew McLardy Andrew McLardy Andrew McLardy is a South African professional golfer.McLardy was born in Triangle, Zimbabwe to Scottish parents. He had a successful amateur career, including representing South Africa twice in the Eisenhower Trophy, before turning professional in 1997... , Bruce VaughanBruce Vaughan Bruce Lloyd Vaughan is an American professional golfer.Vaughan was born in Kankakee, Illinois. He didn't start playing golf until he was 20 and working as a firefighter in Hutchinson, Kansas.... |
|
| 3 | 12 Jan 2003 | South African Airways Open(co-sanctioned with European Tour) | Playoff | Tim Clark |
|
| 4 | 18 Jan 2004 | South African Airways Open(co-sanctioned with European Tour) | 3 strokes | Alastair Forsyth Alastair Forsyth -Amateur career:Forsyth was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He was a member of a winning Great Britain & Ireland Jacques Léglise Trophy team in 1994 and he won the 1996 Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship.-Professional career:Forsyth turned professional in 1998... , Steve WebsterSteve Webster Steve Webster is an English professional golfer.Webster was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. He finished tied for 24th place in the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews, winning the silver medal as low amateur ahead of Tiger Woods. He turned professional later that year.Webster won the 1995... |
|
| 5 | 2 Dec 2007 2007 Sunshine Tour The 2007 Sunshine Tour was the eighth season of professional golf tournaments since the southern Africa based Sunshine Tour was rebranded in 2000, and the marked the beginning of a new era as the tour switched to a calendar based season, having previously been seasonal... |
Nedbank Golf Challenge Nedbank Golf Challenge The Nedbank Golf Challenge is an annual men's professional golf tournament played at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, North West province, South Africa. It is not an official money event for any of the major tours, and like many high profile unofficial tournaments in professional golf it... |
1 stroke | Justin Rose Justin Rose Justin Peter Rose is a South African-born English professional golfer who plays most of his golf on the PGA Tour while keeping his membership on the European Tour... |
Challenge Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 Mar 2000 2000 Challenge Tour The 2000 Challenge Tour was a series of golf tournaments known as the Challenge Tour, the official development tour run by the PGA European Tour... |
Tusker Kenya Open | 4 strokes |  Henrik StensonHenrik Stenson Henrik Stenson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays both on the US and European tours. He has spent over 100 weeks ranked in the World top ten and his career high ranking of fourth is the best by any Swedish golfer.-Career:... |
Other wins (1)
- 2003 WGC-World CupWGC-World CupThe World Cup is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the first choice players choose to compete...
(team event, with Rory SabbatiniRory SabbatiniRory Mario Trevor Sabbatini is a South African professional golfer.Rory Sabbatini was born in Durban, South Africa. He started playing golf at age 4, but concentrated on it from age 12. He was recruited by the University of Arizona, turned professional in 1998 and joined the PGA Tour in 1999...
)
Major championship
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
is shown in bold.
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 Holes | Winning Score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 2008 Masters Tournament The 2008 Masters Tournament was a golf competition held at Augusta National Golf Club from April 10-13. It was the 72nd Masters Tournament, and the first major of the 2008 season. Trevor Immelman won with a score of -8 . Defending champion Zach Johnson finished tied for 20th at +3... |
Masters Tournament | 2 shot lead |
| 3 strokes | Tiger Woods Tiger Woods Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No... |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | 56 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | 5 | CUT | T55 | 1 | T20 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | T55 | DNP | T21 | CUT | T65 | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T53 | T42 | T15 | DNP | T60 | T19 | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T48 | T37 | T17 | T34 | T6 | CUT | DNP |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| The Masters | T14 | T15 |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
CUT | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T23 | T38 |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
CUT | T12 |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Summary
- Tournaments played: 31
- Wins: 1
- Top 10s: 4
- Top 25s: 13
- Missed cuts: 8
- Most consecutive cuts made: 5
Team appearances
Amateur- Eisenhower TrophyEisenhower TrophyThe Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer. Recent tournaments have...
(representing South Africa): 1998
Professional
- World Cup (representing South Africa): 2003 (winners), 2004, 2007
- Presidents CupPresidents CupThe Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
(International Team): 20052005 Presidents Cup18½ United States – 15½ InternationalThe 6th Presidents Cup Matches were held in 2005 between September 20 and September 25. They were played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, USA. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 18½–15½. The honorary chairmen...
, 20072007 Presidents CupUnited States 19½ - International 14½The 7th Presidents Cup Matches were held in 2007 between September 27 and September 30. They were played at the Royal Montreal Golf Club in Île Bizard, Quebec, Canada. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 19½–14½.-Format:On the first day six...