Trevor Immelman grew up admiring Gary Player. Perhaps he will become the next South African great. (Squire/Getty Images)

But now we could be on the verge of a change. One more round in the 60s, one more cool-as-a-cucumber performance, and Trevor Immelman might just assume the torch for his country.

It was Trevor Immelman's luck on No. 15 that saved his stellar round. (Redington/Getty Images)

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SCORECARDS

Trevor Immelman
Brandt Snedeker
Paul Casey
Steve Flesch
Tiger Woods
Stewart Cink

Oh, that's not to say Els and Goosen will be pushed to the side. Hardly. They possess massive amounts of talent, and you can expect them to contend for majors for several more years.

Even so, they're each a decade older than Immelman, so from strictly an age standpoint, the wick on that candle may be getting low. The Big Easy missed the cut this week and hasn't won a major since the 2002 British Open. And while Goosen is tied with eight other players at 2 under, his last major title came in the 2004 U.S. Open.

Oh, and what about Rory Sabbatini, who is just four years older than Immelman and finished tied for second here last year? He joined Els on the sideline this weekend.

As for the Masters, it has been a long 30 years since a South African slipped into the Green Jacket -- that was Player in 1978. To be fair, Els and Goosen have come oh-so-close. Entering this week, the two combined for a total of 23 starts at Augusta National. Of those 23, 10 include top-10 finishes -- four of those runner-up or co-runner-up.

Yet, it's Immelman, a 28-year-old whippersnapper who will sleep Saturday night on a two-shot lead.

"There's a few guys that have had a shot," said Immelman about ending the 30-year drought. "I count myself fortunate to be in this position, and I'm just going to go and give it my best shot tomorrow."

Frankly, Immelman's Masters resume reads like Cliff's Notes compared to those of Els and Goosen. Five starts, one top-10 (fifth in 2005), two missed cuts, a 56th-place finish and a tie for 55th. In fact, he sandwiched a couple of 77s a year ago at Augusta National with an 81.

But how fitting would it be for Immelman to win during a week in which so much focus was on Player and his record 51st Masters start? Wherever he is at the moment -- perhaps still in Augusta -- golf's self-proclaimed most-traveled man is wearing an ear-to-ear smile the way he wears his patented all-black attire.

After all, if Immelman wins the Masters and jump-starts what could be a tremendous career, he might have Player to thank for that.

In 2005, Player controversially selected the then-unheralded Immelman as a captain's pick for the Presidents Cup in their home country. Since then, Immelman has proven time and again that the world stage is where he belongs.

Could there be a better gift to Player -- the man who's played in the Masters more times than anyone -- than to be a guest at the Champions Dinner of one of his own in 2009, particularly a man that he made relevant?

Of course, before Immelman starts creating a menu, he needs to take care of business on Sunday.

SHOT OF THE DAY: Trevor Immelman provided an Augusta roar-inducing approach shot on the final hole Saturday, sticking his second shot to within four feet of the hole to set up a round-ending birdie to secure a two-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker -- and perhaps more importantly, a six-shot advantage over Tiger Woods -- going into the final round. By the way, Woods has never won a PGA TOUR event when trailing by more than five shots entering the final round.

ROUND OF THE DAY I: Trevor Immelman's 4-under-par 68 was the most impressive because it was a continuation of the consistency with which he's played all week. It was his third successive round in the 60s. If Immelman can muster a sub-70 round and win on Sunday, he'd be the first champion in Masters history to post all four rounds in the sixties.

ROUND OF THE DAY II: The 4-under-par 68 carded by Tiger Woods. Tiger started the third round trailing by seven shots and will start the final round trailing by six. It's a substantial margin to overcome and Woods will certainly need some help from those in front of him. However, don't get caught up in the point many will harp on about Tiger having never come from behind to win a major championship in the final round. Yes, it's true. But with 13 major wins under his belt, Tiger will likely rally to win one of these at some point in his career. Perhaps this is the week.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "You could put your mortgage on Tiger making a putt like this ... and ... you wouldn't be homeless!" -- BBC Radio commentator Iain Carter, sitting just to my left in the media center, on Tiger's par putt on No. 18 as it crawled and then dove into the hole to close out the third round

Snedeker

QUOTE OF THE DAY II: "To sit here and say we are not going to be thinking about Tiger Woods tomorrow is crazy because we are, just like everybody else in this room is and just like everybody else in this world is. We're human, what can we say?" -- Brandt Snedeker when asked in the media center about a certain player looming six shots off the lead

HOLDING HIS OWN: Are you as impressed with Andres Romero as I am? He continues to amaze me. This week marks Romero's fifth start in a major championship. His record in the previous four? Two missed cuts at the PGA Championship, a tie for eighth in 2006 and third in 2007 at the British Open. Not too shabby in the overseas department. Follow that with the 26-year-old Argentine winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in just his 12th start on the PGA TOUR two weeks ago and you'd have to say this guy is on the fast track to years of success.

If you weren't already impressed, you should be blown away after his 2-under-par 70 on Saturday. Was it the best score of the day? No. But Romero withstood the pressure that comes along with playing alongside Tiger Woods. That was incredible.

LOOKING AHEAD: The four groups I'll be keeping an eye on in Sunday's final round:

• 1:55 p.m. Zach Johnson, Boo Weekley. It's doubtful that Johnson will successfully defend his Masters title, but no one can deny that his play has been befitting of a champion. After a disappointing 76 on Friday, Johnson bounced back with a 4-under 68 and enters the final round at 2-under. For his part, Weekley is making the most of his first Masters appearance.

• 2:05 p.m. Tiger Woods, Stewart Cink. Yet again, Woods has put himself in a position to win another major. His chances this time around are slim -- he'll begin the final round trailing by six -- but his presence on the front page of the leaderboard alone can induce butterflies in the stomach of even the most worthy competitors. Cink won't win, but he could put to rest a case of the ugly Sundays he's been experiencing on TOUR in 2008.

• 2:15 p.m. Steve Flesch, Paul Casey. Each of these guys has two top-10s to his credit in major championships. However, their situations couldn't be more different. Flesch has enjoyed a nice, four-win career on the PGA TOUR. Casey has never won on TOUR but has been an absolute force on the European Tour in recent years. Casey is the type of player people expect to contend in majors. Flesch is a 40-year-old, gritty veteran playing like a guy with nothing to lose. You've always got to be cautious of a guy with nothing to lose.

• 2:25 p.m. Trevor Immelman, Brandt Snedeker. Two young guys playing in the final pairing in the final round of the Masters. Just two dudes living the dream. Will the ultimate dream be realized for either one? It'll be interesting to see who can maintain his composure best when the collar tightens on the back nine -- and if there's a Tiger breathing down their necks.