Kaymer secures maiden win in Abu Dhabi
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2008 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship | Round Four | 21 Jan 2008
Martin Kaymer not only won his first European Tour event in Abu Dhabi this week, he did it in absolute style by leading the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship from start to finish. The 23-year-old German confirmed what most expected – that a win on the European Tour was just a matter of time.
It was perhaps not quite as simple as the final margin and his six shot 54 hole lead suggested it might have been, but the German now has the luxury of his first victory behind him and there is little doubt there will be plenty more to come.
His six shot lead over Henrik Stenson was reduced to just three at the turn as he struggled through his opening nine in 39 but his nearest challenger at that point, Stenson, had missed a great chance to place the upmost pressure on the leader when he double bogeyed the 5th.
No lead is ever totally safe especially when trying to win an event of this significance for the first occasion but Kaymer was determined to stick to a game plan of hitting fairways and greens and to stay patient.
The 2007 Rookie of the Year was able to stem the tide over the closing nine and won by four over Stenson and Lee Westwood, the latter continuing the remarkable consistency he has shown in recent months.
“This is a different feeling,” said Kaymer comparing his success this week to success in earlier events on lesser tours. “These are the best players in Europe and it gives me a lot of confidence for the next few weeks.”
Such is the progress he has made that Kaymer’s world ranking will improve to well inside the top 50 and a start at the Accenture Match Play beckons.
“My caddy he did a great job,” added Kaymer. “We worked together for the first time this week and he kept me calm.”
Richard Finch, another first time winner in the 2008 season, confirmed his New Zealand Open form by finishing strongly over the weekend to share fourth place with Ignacio Garrido and Peter Hedblom.
The best of the four Australians in the field was West Australian Scott Strange, who appears to be improving each start on the European Tour. Strange finished in a share of 7th place with South African Open winner James Kingston and earned a very handy €37194, his second biggest cheque on the European Tour after his very impressive 10th at the Dunhill Links.
Richard Green charged home with a final round of 66, which augurs well for the Dubai Classic in two weeks, an event which is one of Green’s favourites having won it in 1997 and finished third there two years ago. Green’s was the best round of the day and moved him to a share of 17th.
Adam Scott was 23rd and Paul Sheehan 44th.
The European Tour now moves further up the Gulf to Doha, the capital of Qatar, for the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters where Retief Goosen will defend the title he won by two shots over Nick O’Hern last year.
