Martin Kaymer closes 2011 on a high, nominated twice for the Race to Dubai Golfer of the Month award
The year may not have turned out to be as bright as the previous one, the rampaging German Martin Kaymer has done well winning two events on his home tour, the European Tour in 2011. The undisputed king of Abu Dhabi, Kaymer has won the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship
three times in a row, including the season-opener in January this year. His majestic title defence not only earned him the European Tour Golfer of the Month award but also took him to a career-high of world number two on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).
Kaymer landed the title with a record low of 24-under, 264, pulling in rounds of 67-65-66-66, a staggering eight shots clear of the fast approaching Rory McIlroy. This marked his fourth title win on the European Tour after he turned professional in 2005
and his third consecutive victory on the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in its six years history.
“I’ve won the Golfer of the Month award four times now and it is always a nice trophy to win. I’m collecting them! It’s good to have an extra trophy in my living room.” Kaymer said after his successful defence of the title.
His Abu Dhabi rendezvous turned out to be the beginning of the testing times for the 26-year-old. He posted another strong finish at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship, where he was defeated by the current world number one Luke Donald in the final
one-to-one. His strong finish catapulted him to the top of the OWGR for the first time, making him the second German to soar to the summit after the veteran Bernhard Langer. His stay on top, however, proved temporary, as Englishman Lee Westwood regained his
top rank within weeks.
Kaymer lurked in shadows for another month before stepping on the Augusta National to try his luck in the coveted Masters, a course he least admired. Battling the top-ranked players in the world, Kaymer failed to make the cut marking fourth consecutive time
when he failed to make the cut at the Masters. He finished for a high of joint 39 at the US Open in Congressional before returning to his home tour to wrestle his way through the ranks, although with little luck.
During the closing end of the year, Kaymer started to create buzz, pulling in strong finishes, including the runners up finish at the Omega European Masters and other strong finishes on the Asian Tour events. He played brilliantly in the President’s Cup
in Australia, alongside his German compatriot Alex Cejka but fell back for the lacklustre performance of other players on the International Team.
Kaymer finally made his way back to the top in November, when he thrashed the field at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai where he lifted the title five shots ahead of the nearest contender Fredrik Jacobson. Kaymer is likely to barge on a rampage starting
early next year and will continue to be a formidable force on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Although there have been many superb performances over the last six weeks, it was Martin Kaymer’s stunning triumph in Shanghai – and the manner in which it was achieved with nine birdies in his last 12 holes – that made it so special.” Iain Carter, Golf
Correspondent of BBC Radio Five Live, also a member of the judging panel, said.
He was again nominated for the Race to Dubai Golfer of the Month award in November.
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