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There's a young fellow who led by a couple of strokes into the final round of the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta named Trevor Immelman.

Anything happen there? Immelman. Immelman. Well, let's see. Had the name been Audie Murphy, Colin Kelly, Alvin (Sergeant) York, would that have rung a bell? To older (mature) folk, and to pilots of almost any age, Immelman rings an instant bell.

Max Immelman was a WWI German flying ace who perfected the maneuver that bears his name; a method of changing direction and altitude in a war fighting circumstance. Pull back on the stick and, just at the top of the loop or beyond, roll out of it and gun 'er in the opposite diection. The Immelman remains one of the basic acrobatic maneuvers of powered flight.

Golfer Immelman is only 28, a South African, and as far as I know, no sports maven has inquired to see if his heritage involves Max. Even on the windy days you can't Immelman a golf ball -- quite.

topics:
Sports, Africa