Kaymer edges Watson, DJ faces music at PGA Championship
Martin Kaymer won a play-off against US hope Bubba Watson in a captivating final day at the PGA Championship yesterday, Kaymer becoming the first German to win the tournament - and just the second to win a major.
Meanwhile, Dustin Johnson missed out on a chance to join Kaymer and Watson in the three-hole decider in the cruellest circumstances.
The supposed bigger names in golf didn't play much of a role at Whistling Straits on Sunday. But while Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were well off the pace at the end, even if Mickelson finished with his best round of the week, the finale of this week's PGA Championship was hardly short on drama.
Watson finished his round 11-under-par while Kaymer was still on the course; Kaymer had enjoyed a one-stroke advantage over the American until the 15th, where he bogeyed to go level with Watson, thus ensuring further play would be necessary.
On the additional play-off holes, Watson birdied the 10th, a superb tee shot, and a pitch to within two feet of the pin giving him the advantage on the first extra hole. But Kaymer hit back on the next, making a 15ft putt for birdie on the 17th.
And on the 18th, Watson hit his second shot into the water, and after taking a drop overshot the green. That meant that a bogey putt was enough to see the 25-year-old collect his first major victory, move up to No. 5 in the world rankings - and clinch his place on Colin Montgomerie's Ryder Cup team.
Dustin Johnson would also have played a role in the playoff, were it not for a controversial mistake at the very last. Having put together three birdies on five holes on the back nine, Johnson moved into the outright lead with one hole to play only for the 26-year-old to bogey the 18th.
That score that still would have seen him pass muster for the play-off - until Johnson was adjudged to have grounded his club in a bunker, an error that saw him penalised a further two strokes.
The controversy arose since the "bunker" in question was not obviously delineated as such; nonetheless, the PGA had notified players that any area of sand constituted a sand trap, and thus the American's chance at a major victory was over for 2010; Johnson had earlier this year been in the running for a US Open win before shooting a disappointing round of 82 in the final round.
Rory McIlroy finished in a tie for third place along with Zach Johnson, both men finishing on 10-under for the tournament. Jason Dufner and Steve Elkington finished on the same footing as Johnson, nine-under for the week, while world No. 2 Phil Mickelson shot five-under yesterday to finish six-under in total, tied for 12th place with Englishmen Paul Casey and Simon Dyson.
Nick Watney had led going in to the final day, but the American endured a day he'll want to quickly forget, beginning with one double bogey on the 1st and shooting another on the 11th; Watney also managed a triple bogey on the 7th for good measure, meaning the 29-year-old finished his day nine-over, four-under for the tournament, and tied for 18th place.
That was still a better showing than Tiger Woods, though the world No. 1 will have been encouraged to finish two-under for the tournament, after last week's career-low showing at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
Woods' 28th place finish here was not enough to see him automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup, meaning that if the 34-year-old is to play a part in Corey Pavin's team in October, he will need a wild card pick from the captain.
At least Woods seems eager to appear at Celtic Manor, telling interviewers afterwards: "I'm looking forward to it, hopefully Corey will pick me on the team." With two of this year's majors going to European players, and only Phil Mickelson winning for the US this year, Pavin will surely take Woods - and will just pray the 14-time major winner has recovered some of his mojo.
Because on recent evidence, the Euros would appear to have the measure of their US rivals. Just ask Bubba Watson.
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