Immelman remains positive despite losing out

US Tour: South African Trevor Immelman has won more than $700,000 on the US Tour in the last two weeks - but it could so easily have been more than $1.2 million.

Immelman finished runner-up for the second Sunday running after going in the water on the final hole to lose the Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, to little-known American Brett Wetterich. It followed his play-off loss in the Wachovia Championship to Jim Furyk after he had three-putted the final green and then bogeyed the first extra hole as well.

"They were two great weeks - I think I'm playing the best golf of my career so far," said the 26-year-old Cape Town golfer, staying as positive as he could.

Immelman, one behind at the time after bogeying the 15th, ended up saving a brilliant par with an eight-iron to nine feet, but 32-year-old Wetterich did not buckle and made the four he needed.

"I was really proud of myself for holing that putt," added Immelman. "There was still some pressure there and you would rather finish second on your own than tied second."

Wetterich took the final place at last December's US Tour qualifying school, but although he was still outside the world's top 200 before his win, it did not come totally out of the blue.

Last month he was sixth in the Houston Open and fourth in the New Orleans Classic. "It's an unbelievable feeling," he said.

Wetterich cried as he waited to make his tap-in for victory and explained afterwards he was thinking of his brother, Mark. "He was killed in a car accident coming home from work three years ago. I put his initials on my golf bag and it kind of reminds me of him," he added.

Leading final round scores: (USA unless stated, par 70): 268 - B Wetterich 66 64 70 68; 269 - T Immelman (Rsa) 68 67 64 70; 270 - A Scott (Aus) 65 65 69 71, O Uresti 67 66 69 68; 271 - C Campbell 72 65 65 69; 272 - L Donald (Eng) 69 66 69 68, S Maruyama (Jpn) 71 68 67 66; 273 - B Davis (Eng) 70 68 70 65, D Hart 68 68 68 69, C Hoffman 70 67 65 71, R Pampling (Aus) 71 69 67 66, J Bohn 70 68 68 67.