Dominant Martin Kaymer pulls clear of Rory McIlroy at Abu Dhabi Championship

Joy Chakravarty 19:40 17/01/2015
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  • Written in the stars: Martin Kaymer takes a sensational lead on Day 3 of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

    That Martin Kaymer would get his name inscribed for a fourth time on the Falcon Trophy, seems to be written in the stars.

    How else can one describe the incredible par he made on the par-5 10th hole yesterday?

    Playing the penultimate round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the world No12 had just completed a sensational bogey-free front nine of 31, and at 18-under par, he was already three ahead of Thomas Pieters, and miles ahead of everyone else.

    And then, for a brief moment, the birdie machine hiccupped. From the centre of the fairway on the 10th hole, Kaymer pulled his second shot into the bushes, from where he could do no better than to take a penalty drop. His fourth shot from the waste area sailed straight into the greenside bunker.

    Just when the field got a sliver of hope, the incredulous Kaymer shut the door rudely on their face for good. He calmly stepped into the bunker, and splashed his shot straight into the hole for a five that completely crushed the hearts of his rivals.

    “I thought I was a little unfortunate on 10. But I holed the bunker shot, and that was important to me to stay in control,” said Kaymer.

    “That was a big, big bonus. That was big for momentum as I could have easily made a bogey or a double‑bogey. It was a long bunker shot, too.  I got the right spin, the right yardage, and I think it was more luck than skill.”

    Thereafter, it was a canter as he finished the round with two more birdies. A bogey-free seven-under par increased his lead over the second-placed Thomas Pieters of Belgium. The 22-year-old had started the day one behind the leader, and by the end of his round, he was left staring at Kaymer’s heels.

    Kaymer reminisced a similar incident that took place when he won in 2011. Playing the difficult par-4 ninth, he hooked his tee shot into the water. The ball hit a rock, and ricocheted right back into the fairway, from where he made a birdie.

    Six shots is a huge lead in golf, especially when you have just one round remaining and when you are playing this well. But the history of the game has shown time and again that not many players are equipped with the mindset to be comfortable with such a cushion.

    That list does not include Kaymer though. He has won by eight shots here, and protected a five-shot lead on the final day at last year’s US Open.

    Kaymer said after his 67 yesterday: “It’s nice to have the lead…that was important going to tomorrow. That was the main goal.

    “I enjoy it (being a frontrunner). I’m not scared of leading a golf tournament. I really enjoy the challenge, because it’s a challenge against yourself. It’s about really trying to minimise the mistakes.”

    Kaymer said the key would be to find a nice mix between being aggressive and making birdies, as well as managing himself well and avoiding bogeys.

    “It’s a tough one. Right now, it’s difficult to answer that, but it feels a little bit like the US Open lead.  It was very similar,” said Kaymer.

    “Obviously, this is a different golf course. At the US Open, you are happy when you shoot level par. Here, in order to win, I think you need to shoot another at least 4‑ or 5‑under par, because I’m sure there’s going to be one guy – it could be Thomas, Bernd Weisberger or Rory – who will come at you and you cannot just hope that they will not make birdies.

    “So, I have to make birdies. But on the other hand, you have to really take care of not making bogeys. I know that sounds a little bit negative, but it shouldn’t. It’s more like that you play smart and wait for your chance and not try to force it.”

    Kaymer said breaking his own record of 24-under par was the least of his worries.

    “A few years back, I shot 24‑under par.  Now I’m 20‑under par. To match it, I need only four birdies,” said Kaymer.

    “But the record is not that interesting for me. To me, it is important that I win the golf tournament; whether it’s by one shot or by six shots or by 10 shots, I don’t really care as long as I win.”

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