Martin Kaymer wins WGC Champions event in Shanghai
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Germany’s Martin Kaymer shot a sensational final round of 63 to win the WGC Champions event in Shanghai.
His round included a stunning back nine of 29, seven-under par, to win by three shots on 20-under from Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson.
Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell finished alone in third on sixteen-under par while his compatriot Rory McIlroy finished fourth, moving up to second in the world golf rankings in the process.
Kaymer was just five-under par four holes into his third round but he then came to life, firing fifteen birdies in his remaining 31 holes with no dropped shots.
The win has come at just the right time for the new World No.4, who hasn’t won since Abu Dhabi in January, as he moves up to second in the Race to Dubai thanks to his winner’s cheque of €842,218.
“On the back nine I made nearly every putt that I looked at,” Kaymer said afterwards. “I can’t remember a day when I have played that well. In Abu Dhabi this year I played brilliant golf but the way I played here was just amazing.”
“I hadn’t won for 10 months. I was hoping I could get another one before the end of the year and it is nice that it is at such a big event.”
The world’s top four players now come from Europe, including England’s Lee Westwood at number three, who was in contention heading into the final round but racked up six bogies in a 74.
Justin Rose will now head to next week’s event in Singapore rather than back home to the US having failed to achieve the top-six finish he needed to secure a place in the season-ending Dubai World Championship.
