It was almost certainly a major tactical blunder to disclose to the press earlier this year that he liked his chances of claiming golf's first-ever Grand Slam in 2008 by winning all four major in a row - and ultimately it probably had more to do with him failing at the very first hurdle, the Masters at Augusta National, than anything else.

At the time of his confident disclosure, he had won seven straight tournaments and was certainly looking fearsome, but the additional pressure he put on himself by telling the media that the slam was well within his considerable compass must have put unbearable pressure on him.

Too much in fact. He crossed the line.

This despite the fact that there is probably no man on this planet who is better able to handle pressure after having to live daily with the enormous aspirations of any army of supporters, both inside and outside of the US of A

During his post-final round interview with the media, Tiger was asked: "I just wonder, with all the talk of the Slam, was there anything in your mind about that at all? You were the one, of course, who first presented it and we (the media) jumped all over it."

He answered: ":I learned my lesson there with the press. I'm not going to say anything."

The World No 1 went on to indicate that it was his poor putting, rather than the pressure on him to win, that had been his downfall.

"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. I just didn't make the putts I needed. I had the speed right, I just didn't quite get the line right," he said.

But say what he likes, pressure, more than anything else, is what turns a great putter into the ineffective one he was for most of Sunday.

'I didn't putt well all week. I kept dragging the blade. I wasn't releasing it, wasn't getting the over spin like I normally do. Out here if you're not starting the ball perfectly on line, you're not going to make any putts.

"I tried to release it, tried to get it going, and tried to hook my putts, tried to do anything to get the thing rolling properly. I just didn't quite have it this week.

"For some reason on the longer putts I was great. I was able to...the length of the stroke definitely helps, so on the shorter putts I just kept dragging it."

Admit it or not,Tiger, that dragging problem was almost certainly brought about by stress and its consequential muscle-tightening effects.

When Trevor Immelman, who had been the perfect picture of poise during the first part of his final round, missed what had looked to be a sitter of a putt for birdie at 15, tournament-wise Nick Faldo, a three-time Major winner working as a TV commentator, said: "Note how Trevor didn't use his shoulders.

"It was all arms and he pulled it. Pressure tightens up the big muscles in the body. He could be in trouble."

As it turned out, Immelman corrected his problem after shakily hitting his next tee shot into the water at 16, ironically the hole which he aced two years back.

His composure and focus returned. the big muscles loosened up and he sailed on to win quite comfortable in the end.

Tiger also looked as if he had shrugged away the pressure at 18 when he rolled home the smoothest of putts in his old Tigeresqe style.

But by then it was too late too stop an under-rated, but well-deserved and dignified new champion from stepping up to the winners podium after a performance of great skill - nobody that mattered handled the nasty 25 mph wind and the slick, dry greens better than he did and nobody hit more fairways and greens in regulation during the week.

And all this after bravely and patiently having to live with the lead on all four buzzing days of this golfing extravaganza, perhaps because unlike Tiger, there were no expectations of him coming into it.

And this, of course, made it all so much easier to put himself into that elusive 'zone' that is so essential to winning events of this magnitude.

Brandt Snedeker, who played alongside Immelman on Sunday and matched him briefly, was raving about Immelman's "phenomenal" performance afterwards - see his Q & A in our features section

Until Tiger and the others, including Immelman himself, look back at the video material of the event, I'm pretty sure they won't know just how good he really was.

My glass is raised to a worthy champion.

Gary Player, his boyhood hero and inspiration, and South Africa can indeed be proud of him.