Kaymer leaves rivals in dust

RORY McILROY and his European Tour colleagues will be pleased Martin Kaymer has taken out U.S. Tour membership after the German began his new season with a resounding eight-stroke victory in the defence of his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title.

McIlroy and his friend Graeme McDowell were shaking their heads in disbelief after the new world number two demolished the field with a 24-under par victory tally.

Kaymer dropped just one stroke over the four days – an uncharacteristic shank at the third hole on day one – in eventually relegating final round rival McIlroy (69) into a distant second place at 16-under par.

McDowell (67) and fellow U.S. Open champion, Retief Goosen of South Africa (64), were tied in third place at 14-under par while Ballyclare’s Gareth Maybin (69) muscled his way into joint fifth at 13-under par.

McIlroy finished second in his first event of the new year and McDowell joint third, as the day belonged to the European number one.

It was the third occasion in four years the 26-year has won in Abu Dhabi, meaning he gets to keep the gleaming silver falcon trophy.

Kaymer went into the final round leading by five from McIlroy at 13-under par and won with ease in carding a 66.

The €334,398 first prize cheque sent Kaymer’s earnings through the €10m mark for him to become the quickest player to earn such an amount. Kaymer achieved the goal in 100 events compared to Sergio Garcia, who managed the feat in 111 events in 2007.

Kaymer‘ needed only to finish top-seven to unseat’s unseating of Woods as Lee Westwood’s closest challenger means that for the first time since 1993 – when an Englishman and a German in Nick Faldo and Bernhard Langer were also one and two – Europe again enjoys a similar Anglo-German flavour atop of the rankings.

In a further boost of European world ranking stocks, McDowell is now number four having seen Phil Mickelson head back to the States having slipped to number six following his eventual share of 37th place.

McIlroy moved up five places to number seven and with Paul Casey at nine and Luke Donald at 10 it ensures Europe has six players inside the world’s top 10.

However, McIlroy was left pondering what he needs to do in the months ahead to get the better of his Ryder Cup-winning colleague.

“Martin’s just incredible, up to world number two, and deservedly so,” said McIlroy. “He’s playing some great golf at the minute, and he was in total control of his golf ball out there today, and then to make just one bogey all week is very impressive.

“He just goes about his business and just gets on with it, yeah.

“Very impressive. He’s a class act, he really is.”

McDowell, who heads back to Florida to oversee work on his new abode, remarked: “Martin’s a world class player and in moving to number two in the world this week is just great for European golf to have the number one and two.

“As for myself, I’m happy to slip in there at number four which is very satisfying also.”

Kaymer moves straight into second place on the Race to Dubai money list, McIlroy to fifth, McDowell to ninth, and Maybin jumps from 52nd to 12th. Disappointingly, Pádraig Harrington’s names appears at the very bottom of the official results list with the word ‘Disq’ beside his name after falling to spot that his ball had moved on the green during his first round.