At 28, Immelman is at fitting age

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It sounded like a train.

It burst through the shadows and out of the pines, a huge sustained roar steaming across the fairways at Augusta National for long, taunting seconds.

It was Trevor Immelman's midnight train through Georgia.

"It was just so tough," Immelman said.

The noise was for Tiger Woods, who had just sunk a long putt on the 11th hole Sunday to pull to within five strokes of the Masters lead.

He was one hole ahead of Immelman, and right on his cleats.

Prayer time at Amen Corner.

"I kept saying to myself, 'Just hang in there,' " Immelman said.

The wind blew pine needles across an 11th green just waxed by Woods. The fans had grown silent after screaming for Woods.

Immelman's approach shot landed near a drainage area off the green, and this was it.

This is when he would break. This is when the Masters would master.

He had spent the winter being cut by surgeons who removed a benign abdominal tumor. He spent the spring being cut by golf tournaments, including the event last week.

How was a body like this, and a game like this, going to withstand a charge from the greatest golfer in the world?

Immelman chipped to the fringe of the green, carefully held his putter for a difficult putt for par.

This was it. The pressure of this day would later make one of the challengers break down in tears. How on Bobby Jones' good green earth could a 28-year-old with one previous PGA tournament win survive after hearing that roar?

Two hours later, tucked nicely in a brand-new blazer, Immelman gave his answer.

"I didn't," he said.

He didn't hear the roar?

"I didn't hear many roars out there today," he said.

Indeed he didn't, shutting it all down, all of it, the move from Woods, the murmurs from the fans, the missives from the press.

He shut down our beliefs, and opened our eyes.

"I was just trying to be strong . . . and I hoping I would be good enough," he said.

And so he was, the best of golfers in the worst of times, a Masters champion who went from straitjacket to green jacket.

He ignored the noise to sink a 15-foot par putt on 11.

He fought out of the pine straw to make bogey on 12.

He calmed long enough to save a double-bogey during a water-coated 16.

Then he saved par on 17 after hitting such a lousy approach shot into a bunker, he dropped his club and put his hands on his head in frustration.