KOHLER, Wisconsin, (Reuters) – Germany’s Martin Kaymer maintained ice-cool composure to win his maiden major title in a gripping two-way playoff with American Bubba Watson for the 92nd U.S. PGA Championship yesterday.
With American Dustin Johnson having earlier been eliminated from the playoff after being given a two-stroke penalty, Kaymer went on to clinch the prized Wanamaker Trophy over three extra holes at Whistling Straits.
Watson holed a three-foot birdie putt at the first extra hole, the par-four 10th, but Kaymer immediately responded by sinking a 15-footer to birdie the treacherous 223-yard 17th.
The German then sealed victory in the year’s final major with a bogey at the par-four 18th after both players found the right rough off the tee. The long-hitting Watson struck his second shot into a creek guarding the front of the green on the way to a double-bogey six. Kaymer laid up with his second shot and struck his third to 15 feet before two-putting for the title.
The 25-year-old from Dusseldorf removed his cap to acknowledge the roars from the crowd packed around the green before walking across to shake hands with Watson.
SECOND GERMAN
Kaymer became only the second German to win a major title, compatriot Bernhard Langer having won the U.S. Masters in 1985 and 1993. Johnson had finished level with the duo after the 72 regulation holes on 11-under-par 277 but was adjudged by officials to have grounded his club in a bunker before playing his second shot at the 18th. “Walking up there and seeing the shot, it never once crossed my mind I was in a sand trap,” Johnson said in a television interview.
“The only worse thing that could have happened was if I had made that putt on the last hole. I never once thought that was a sand trap. I just thought I was on a piece of dirt.”
Johnson had led the tournament by one shot playing the last but he missed an eight-foot par putt to bogey the hole for a closing one-under 71 which was then adjusted to a 73.
Watson, who returned a 68, and Kaymer, after a 70, went into the playoff with each of them competing for a maiden major title.
It was the first playoff in the year’s final major since Fiji’s Vijay Singh edged out Americans Justin Leonard and Chris DiMarco at Whistling Straits in 2004.
Six players held at least a share of the lead during yesterday’s final round and six were still in the title hunt with just three holes remaining before the championship went into a playoff.
Kaymer’s victory made him the sixth first-time winner in the last seven majors with Phil Mickelson’s emotional victory at the U.S. Masters in April the sole exception.
