Immelman beat Tiger Woods by three shots at Augusta National last night a week after a missed cut in Houston had only one person mentioning him as a possible winner.

That person was 72-year-old Gary Player, until now the only South African winner of a green jacket.

In the week that he set a Masters record with his 51st appearance Player sent his young compatriot a message saying: "I believe in you and you need to believe in yourself."

And, Player being the character he is, there was also a putting tip.

"I took that all to heart, I'm obviously thankful and I'm sure he's proud of me," commented Immelman, who only last December was operated on for a tumour on his diaphragm that mercifully turned out to be benign.

"I first met him when I was five years old. He picked me up and put me on his shoulders. I think he realised that even at a young age I had so much passion for the game.

"He's been like another type of father for me and to have somebody with that much experience giving you advice is just incredible."

Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Tim Clark and Rory Sabbatini have all had runners-up finishes in the last four years, but Immelman led from start to finish to bring down Woods' Grand Slam bid at the very first hurdle.

A year after Zach Johnson tied the highest total in Masters history in capturing his first major title the 28-year-old from Cape Town broke his duck with the highest closing round ever by a champion.

In 25mph winds a three over par 75 proved good enough with something to spare as Brandt Snedeker, Steve Flesch and England's Paul Casey – the three closest challengers with a round to go – shot 77, 78 and 79 respectively.

"Obviously it hasn't quite sunk in yet. This has probably been the ultimate rollercoaster ride – and I hate rollercoasters."

His best stroke play finish since his return to the sport at the end of January was 40th, but it all came together when it mattered most.

For Woods, of course, the opposite has been true. He won his first four events of this season, taking his unbeaten run to seven, but he would have swapped all of them to have his A-game with him in the first major of the season.

That he still managed to come second on his own courtesy of a closing birdie was little consolation for the world number one.

When a 70-footer went in on the 11th everyone wondered if he could mount a charge and really pile the pressure on Immelman.

But he bogeyed the 14th, did not birdie either of the par fives and the three on the last was too little too late.

Immelman had been involved in more of a battle with Snedeker and left-hander Steve Flesch.

Snedeker eagled the second to catch him, but his round was also to contain an amazing nine bogeys, while Flesch went in the water on the the 12th when in second place and fell away after that to fifth.

Immelman was six clear at one point, but it was back to three after he strayed into the lake off the tee at the short 16th and double-bogeyed. An approach into the bunker on the next meant there was still a chance of a nightmare finish, but he got up and down, also parred the last andcompleted the first wire-to-win win since Raymond Floyd in 1976.

Final scores

(USA unless stated, par 72):

280 Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 68 68 69 75

283 Tiger Woods 72 71 68 72

284 Stewart Cink 72 69 71 72, Brandt Snedeker 69 68 70 77

286 Phil Mickelson 71 68 75 72, Steve Flesch 72 67 69 78, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 74 71 69 72

287 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 70 73 71 73, Andres Romero (Arg) 72 72 70 73, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 77 70 72 68

288 Paul Casey (Eng) 71 69 69 79, Nick Watney 75 70 72 71, Lee Westwood (Eng) 69 73 73 73

289 Vijay Singh (Fij) 72 71 72 74, Sean O'Hair 72 71 71 75, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 76 70 72 71

290 Mike Weir (Can) 73 68 75 74, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 71 71 72 76, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 74 72 72 72.