Immelman reflects on dream and reality of Augusta

More than five months after winning the biggest title of his career, Masters champion Trevor Immelman still has moments when his triumph at Augusta National feels more like a dream than reality.

"You have to pinch yourself," the 28-year-old South African told Reuters of his maiden major championship victory. "I still don't think I quite believe it.

"Even with signing a hundred (Masters) flags a week, it's just so incredible. Every now and then, I receive a little bit of memorabilia or something from Augusta National Golf Club. It's absolutely incredible."

Immelman survived a double-bogey at the 16th hole and tricky, swirling winds in the final round to win the Masters crown by three shots in April.

He followed in the footsteps of his childhood hero Gary Player to claim the prized green jacket and relegated world number one and overwhelming favourite Tiger Woods into second place.

"Winning at Augusta is certainly the defining moment of my career so far," Immelman said. "It was just incredible.

"But I think the biggest thing is that I proved to myself that, on the grandest stage against the best players in the world, if I put it together I've got what it takes.

"Not everybody knows that. A lot of guys think they do and a lot of guys believe they do, as they should, but they don't absolutely 100 percent know it until they do it.

"Now when I tee up, I know if I put it all together and the stars line up and I play my best golf, I've got what it takes. That's what this year has done for me and it's something I can go forward with."

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Immelman accepts his 2008 PGA Tour campaign has been erratic.

"It's been a little up and down, not really the consistency to it that I would normally play to," he said after recording three top-10s and eight missed cuts in 22 starts.

"In the middle there, I think I just lost my focus a little bit. Augusta was obviously the pinnacle of my career, winning a major championship.

"And then after that you have to go back and start getting your thoughts gathered again, trying to get ready for the next drive, if you will, because everything is coming in peaks and valleys."

Immelman learned an important lesson after being swept up in a seemingly never-ending whirl of interviews following his Masters victory.

His time management went awry and he readily admits he initially struggled to cope with all the demands heaped upon him. His golf suffered and he missed the cut in his first two PGA Tour starts after triumphing at Augusta.

"If it had to happen to me again, I would be a little bit more selective and a little bit more careful," he said.

"I would take a lot more time off afterwards to just let everything sink in, deal with everything so that when I get to the next event, I would be 100 percent committed to trying to play as well as I could in that tournament."

Immelman cited the example of 14-times major winner Woods, a master of time management in professional golf.

"He really is a genius at preparing to the point where he can peak when he plays," the dapper South African said. "He and (Jack) Nicklaus are probably the only two in history who have been able to figure out that system."