Masters champion Trevor Immelman said it had been an unbelievable ride to attain the high-point of his career only months after being laid low by serious health worries.

Four months ago to the day, Immelman had emergency surgery to remove a tumour on his diaphragm that was found to be benign.

At blustery Augusta National, the 28-year-old golfer crowned a career he settled on after falling in love with the game as a five-year-old.

"This has probably been the ultimate roller-coaster ride, and I hate roller-coasters," Immelman said.

Immelman kept his cool on Sunday for a three-stroke victory over Tiger Woods that made him the first South African to don the green jacket since Player 30 years ago.

"I win the Nedbank Challenge down in South Africa, a week later I'm having an operation to remove a tumour," he continued.

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

Immelman was sailing along with a five-shot lead with three holes to play when he dumped his tee shot to the par-three 16th into the pond.

That was when caddie Neil Wallace stepped in.

"My caddie did a great job. He told me to just hang in there. He told me I was doing well even after I hit it in the water," said Immelman, who scored a double-bogey at the 16th but held his nerve to par the last two holes.

Immelman, the US Tour's rookie of the year two years ago, knew he would be a professional golfer from an early age.

"From the age of five when I picked up the game, I just fell in love with it and it's all I wanted to do. That's what I told my parents," he said.

"I wanted to play professional golf for a living. My dad recorded every televised golf tournament from that point on and I just used to sit at home watching tapes with my brother.

"We just used to sit and watch these tapes and re-watch the tapes, just imagine being here and being at majors."

Immelman expects even more from himself.

"Obviously this is a tremendous confidence boost, and now that I know that I have got one under my belt, all I can do is go out there and prepare well for the majors from now on, and just try my best."

Reuters