What they said at the Masters

Posted: Sun Apr 13 8:26 PM

By Gerard Gallagher, Golf Editor

Augusta, GA (Sports Network) - Trevor Immelman won his first career major championship at the Masters on Sunday, just four months after having surgery to remove a benign tumor from his diaphragm, then said: "This has been the ultimate roller coaster -- and I hate roller coasters."

Here's a compilation of quotes from Masters week:

- IMMELMAN, whose three-over 75 in the final round was good for a wire-to-wire win at eight-under 280, actually missed the cut by a shot last week at the Houston Open:

"Here I am after missing the cut last week and I'm Masters champion. It's the craziest thing I've ever heard of."

- TIGER WOODS, who backed into a runner-up finish with a 72 on Sunday that left him three shots behind Immelman, missed a host of makable putts during a disappointing final round:

"I figured if I played the last seven holes probably three-under par, I might be in it, but I just couldn't -- I just didn't make any putts all week. I hit the ball well enough to contend, I hit the ball definitely well enough to put pressure on Trevor back there, but I just didn't make any putts today."

- WOODS, who said before the season that winning the Grand Slam was "easily within reason" -- prompting the press to follow up on the comment -- on the hopes of that happening coming to an end Sunday:

"I learned my lesson there with the press. I'm not going to say anything. It's just one of those things when you're out there playing, you couldn't care less. You're trying to win a golf tournament. You're trying to put yourself in position, which I did."

- JOHNSON WAGNER, commenting on the mental makeup and personality of Brandt Snedeker -- who played in the final pairing Sunday but finished tied for third place -- after Snedeker pulled within two shots of the third-round lead:

"He knows he belongs here. He's always had that kind of personality. I've been kind of in awe this week, and Brandt is not in awe of anything. He's here to win a tournament, and that's it. He's just a great guy to hang out with. If you ever get the chance to have a couple beers with him, it's a blast."

- SNEDEKER, who couldn't make putts when he needed them on Sunday, needed a few moments during his post-round press conference to explain how he felt, then cried into his towel:

"I have no idea why I'm so emotional. I was laughing out there, now I'm crying in here."

- PHIL MICKELSON, who wasn't a factor after making four bogeys during a seven- hole stretch in the second round, was looking ahead to the next major, the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in June:

"I've been playing practice rounds sporadically for some time now, so it's already in the back of my mind. Growing up there, that tournament means a lot to me, living in San Diego playing high school matches there at Torrey. I've been out there a bunch and I've been thinking about it a lot."

- PADRAIG HARRINGTON, the reigning British Open champion, who was only interested in shooting one particular number on Sunday, though he didn't come close to getting it:

"The only thing you're interested in is the number that's good enough."

- ADAM SCOTT, the young Australian star, still harbored a little hope of mounting a stunning comeback on Sunday despite trailing by 11 shots, although he may have misspoken when naming the number he thought he needed to shoot:

"Where I am is not looking so good, but maybe a 68 might be good enough."

- BEN CRENSHAW, the 56-year-old two-time Masters champion who missed the cut Friday, on being the last player to win at Augusta after holding the first- round lead (Immelman did it this week):

"I am surprised. I can't believe it's been since 1984. That's a good while. It shows you the ups and downs of this course. It plays so difficult now. But I don't know if there's any rhyme or reason for that. I can't figure that out. I did have a good score that first day, that 67, but I can't explain that."

- FRED COUPLES, who missed the cut for the first time in 24 Masters appearances, failing to snap a tie for the Augusta record he holds with Gary Player:

"It's been a long time, and it's been fun. I'm not going to make it, and I'm kind of disappointed in that. But I'm really disappointed with the way I played."

- TRIP KUEHNE, the longtime amateur star, who missed the cut in his second Masters appearance and then declared an end to his competitive career:

"I can't repeat it enough -- to have an opportunity to play the weekend in the Masters tournament as basically a working man, that was all I ever wanted in life to have that opportunity again. I thought that if I could ever make it back to this tournament and in these situations and this golf course, that I could really foster the amateur game. Because I thought I could play well here."

- IAN POULTER, whose hole-in-one at the 16th on Thursday was the first ace at the Masters in three years:

"You've got a few thousand people on the left-hand side and you've probably got a few more this year seeing as they have cleared some of the trees on the left-hand side, so it was a special moment. And the hairs on the back of your neck were standing up. It was great."

- ZACH JOHNSON, last year's winner, about returning to defend his first major championship and opening with a 15-foot birdie on the first hole Thursday despite feeling a little nervous:

"I don't get first-tee jitters on tour much. I can't remember the last time I did. But it's good to know I still have some feelings, and good ones at that. So, yeah, I was ready to go."

- GARY PLAYER, the three-time champion who made a record 51st appearance at the Masters at the age of 72, called Augusta "the toughest golf course that I've ever played, not even a doubt":

"Par for me is 80. Every hole is a wood."