Immelman a hit in the Big Apple on second day of tour

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Photos: Immelman at Empire State Building

NEW YORK -- He felt like he barely came up to Kevin Garnett's belt buckle.

Immelman did dozens of interviews during his 48 hours in New York.

Trevor Immelman stood tall Monday night, though, when Celtics coach Doc Rivers invited the 5-foot-9 Masters champion into the visiting locker room at halftime of Boston's game with the New York Knicks.

"Come shake the hand of a champion," Rivers told his team. "Maybe it will rub off."

Immelman was courtside as the Celtics beat the Knicks 99-93 in New York's final home game of the season. Boston will open the NBA Playoffs against Atlanta on Monday, and Rivers invited the young South African to be his guest if the Celtics make it to the finals.

The Big Three -- Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen -- did not play in the game, but found time to spend with Immelman. He's an Orlando Magic fan, but Monday was not a day for partisan politics -- particularly when he was a guest of Knicks owner James Dolan.

"It was terrific," Immelman said. "Being such a sports fan, it was obviously great to be in the locker room. These are the sport of guys I have a lot of respect for, and it was amazing how these guys I admired wanted to find out about the Masters."

The evening began in the owner's suite, an opulent salon with a private bar and intimate pre-game buffet of pork tenderloin, beef stir fry and macaroni and cheese and antipasta. Immelman wore a black velvet Gucci jacket his wife, Carmenita, had bought that afternoon for the occasion.

"That's two jackets he's gotten in 24 hours," she said with a smile.

The Green Jacket, of course, had been with Immelman most of the day as he was whisked around the Big Apple in a stretch limo to do seven radio interviews and a half dozen on camera at ESPN, Fox News, and CNN International and Headline News, as well as a photo op on the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building Tuesday. It was Immelman's first trip to New York City.

Carminita Immelman with "Sopranos" actor Vincent Pastore

And this time, the Green Jacket was cloaked in a green garment bag with the words "2008 Masters Champion" -- new this year from Augusta National after Zach Johnson came to New York in 2007 with his carefully wrapped in a white plastic trash bag.

Even without the coveted jacket at Madison Square Garden, people recognized Immelman. He was interviewed on the Jumbotron at halftime and was a bigger attraction than two Sopranos stars in attendance -- Vincent Pastore, who played Salvatore Bonpensiero, and Uncle Junior, Dominic Chianese, who sang "The Star Spangled Banner" to start the evening -- or Oscar-nominated actor Chazz Palminteri.

Pastore even asked for Immelman's John Hancock -- "You want my autograph -- get outta here," Immelman grinned -- as he left the arena around 10 p.m. He also posed for pictures with Immelman and his wife.

While Immelman was at Madison Square Garden, the voice mail and text message mailboxes on his iPhone continued to fill up. He'd had 42 messages before he even walked into the historic old building, including one from Greg Norman, the 2009 captain of the International Presidents Cup that Immelman will undoubtedly be playing on.

And while he was awaiting his interview at Fox News Monday afternoon, Immelman talked with the legendary Yogi Berra, who played with the young South African at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard several years ago.

"Was that cool or what?' a grinning Immelman said when he hung up the phone.

Outpouring of congratulations via cell phone

Among others who called was Tiger Woods, who finished second to Immelman at Augusta National on Sunday. Ironically, Immelman -- also a Nike representative -- was clad in clothing from the Tiger Woods collection for the final two rounds of the Masters.

Other messages came from Ernie Els, Justin Rose, Tim Clark, Ben Curtis, Brad Faxon, Sergio Garcia, Nick Price, Dr. Bob Rotella, Thomas Bjorn, David Frost, Mark McNulty, Brian Davis, Richard Johnson, Michael Campbell and Mike Weir. To name a few, that is.

"He's a beauty," Immelman said of Weir, the 2003 Masters champion. "He's one of the guys who looked after me when I first joined the TOUR."

Immelman's agent, Jon Wagner, was hardly surprised by the outpouring of support. After all, he'd been carrying the Masters champion's iPhone most of the day, and it "feels like it's going off every two-and-a-half minutes.

The scene in the green room on the Late Show with David Letterman

"This is a hugely popular win," Wagner said, telling Immelman that other TOUR pros were asking several IMG representatives on site at the Verizon Heritage how to get in touch with the champion.

Immelman seemed surprised. "Really?" he asked. "That's wonderful." As he waited to appear on "Live with Regis and Kelly" Tuesday morning, Immelman reflected on the messages from his peers.

"I think the cool part is that the guys all realize what it takes," he said. "We all work so hard, and everyone appreciates it when a regular guy wins. We all put in so many hours, they know what it means."

Immelman and Wagner even coaxed Carminita, who studiously avoids the spotlight, to stand in the wings so she could be shown on camera when he was talking with Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa. On Monday, she had declined to be interviewed by several media outlets.

"This is a woman who had photographers basically hide in the trees on our wedding day she was so camera shy," Carminita said. "OK. I am going to embrace this. This is such a special time for our family. Plus, they will give me so much schtick in the car if I don't."

Appearance on "Late Show with David Letterman"

Before he went to Madison Square Garden Monday night, Immelman had stopped by the "David Letterman Show" to read the Top 10 List and shag balls on the street outside the Ed Sullivan Theater after the star pitched to New York Mets third baseman David Wright. Acting legend Al Pacino was also a guest on the show.

As he waited in the "Green Room," the show's announcer, Alan Kalter came in wearing a green sport coat and told Immelman he was there to present him with another jacket. He asked Immelman if he'd pretend to put the coat on Kalter's shoulders for a photograph, and the tall redhead wondered where Immelman's 21-month-old son, Jacob, another carrot-top, was.

The Top 10 List of ways Immelman's life would change after winning the Masters was well-received, although the two-time PGA TOUR winner was a tad nervous about the saying the No. 1 reason: I get to put my arm around Tiger Woods and say, 'Maybe next year.'

"He's got four Green Jackets, and I've only got one," Immelman later said with a sheepish grin. "I'm going to have to say something to him."

He spoke with his clubs last week, though, and Woods -- more than anyone else -- understands what that means.