Top 10 for Immelman in Orlando
20 March 2007
South Africa's Trevor Immelman collected his third top-10 finish of the season on Sunday while Vijay Singh rallied to his thirty-first PGA Tour victory, proving again that golf has no age limit in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Tied for fifth at the start of the final round, Immelman was punished for inaccuracy at the par-70 Bay Hill Club with bogeys at the second, third, fifth and eleventh holes, but managed a lone birdie at the fourteenth for a 73.
Haunted
The 2006 PGA Rookie of Year, he claimed a share of ninth on one-under 279, but can take heart from the fact that he was by far not the only haunted competitor.
The field scoring average over the final two days was 72.899 and 74.513 respectively - the two highest averages of
the year thus far – and even Tiger Woods was a casualty.
The world number one, who owned this event for four straight years, tied for twenty-second after a bogey-double-triple finish over the closing three-hole stretch at Bay Hill called Palmer's Perdition.
Strong start to season
The Arnold Palmer Invitational takes to three Immelman's top-10 finishes in seven starts this season.
After a runner-up spot at home in the SAA Open Championship in December, the 27-year old returned to the PGA Tour where he tied for third at the season opener Mercedes-Benz Championship.
In February, Immelman defeated Thomas Bjorn, Chris DiMarco, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose at the World Golf Championship – Accenture Match Play to advance to the semi-final, where he was eliminated by the eventual winner, Sweden's Henrik Stenson. Immelman then beat American Chad Campbell 4 and 2 in the consolation final to tie up his second top-10 finish by placing
third.
The 2006 Cialis Western Open winner is currently ranked sixteenth in the FedExCup race, and is eighth on the Money List with earnings of $1 186 097.
Els, Goosen tied
South Africa's two top-10 ranked stars, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, tied for eighteenth on two-over par 282. Els slipped a shot each day, posting rounds of 69, 70, 71, and 72, while Goosen let his challenge slip on the final day, carding 69, 68, 70, and 75.
Writing on his website, Els said the sixth and sixteenth holes cost him dearly all week. He twice carded double-bogeys on the sixth, and was four-over on the sixteenth. Apart from those two holes, Els said he was happy with his effort, especially when one considers that the winning score was only eight-under-par.
He reckons he is excited with his game at present, and feels almost like a rookie again. Part of the reason for that is his move back to Callaway as his sponsor.
A good
red wine vintage
Meanwhile, Singh, who can be likened to a good red wine vintage, keeps improving with age and demonstrated this by posting consecutive 67s on Saturday and Sunday, the low rounds of each day, to beat Rocco Mediate by two strokes for the title.
He became the first two-time winner this year on the PGA Tour after claiming the Mercedes-Benz Championship title in January, and also overtook Charles Howell III for the FedExCup points lead.
The 44-year old Fijian, who has won a considerable 19 times since hitting the big 40, also equaled "Lighthorse" Harry Cooper's record for the most PGA Tour wins by a foreign-born player.
Result: Arnold Palmer Invitational
272 Vijay Singh 70-68-67-67
279 Trevor Immelman 66-70-70-73 (T9)
282 Ernie Els 69-70-71-72; Retief Goosen 69-68-70-75 (T18)
Missed cut (set at 143)
144 Rory Sabbatini 71-73
Source: Sunshine Tour
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