Martin Kaymer claimed a dramatic victory in the dusk at The Players Championship, after very nearly seeing a three shot lead erode in the closing four holes after a lengthy suspension of play at TPC Sawgrass.
The 29-year-old German, who started the final round tied for the lead alongside American sensation Jordan Spieth, looked assured as he pulled clear of the field on Sunday, as he completed the opening thirteen holes in flawless fashion.
The former world number one, who came into this week ranked 61st in the Official World Golf Ranking, had looked back to the metronomic form, that saw him win the 2010 PGA Championship, after opening the tournament with rounds of 63 and 69. An even par effort yesterday was more of a grind for the ten-time winner on the European Tour, but he appeared to be restored to that faultless form of Thursday, with his trademark fade serving him well once again with three birdies in his opening 13 holes.
Those gains would come on par fives, with the second, ninth and 11th being profitable for the likeable Dusseldorf native. With playing partner Spieth struggling to compete with Kaymer’s precision, the two-time Ryder Cup participant had moved three shots clear of the field, before very nearly extending that advantage further with birdie attempts at the 12th and 13th.
However, a dark sky had descended upon Ponte Vedra during the afternoon, and it threatened to be the most domineering obstacle between Kaymer and victory in this prestigious event.
With local-based veteran Jim Furyk his nearest challenger, Kaymer’s procession would come to a sudden halt, with play suspended due to the threat of thunderstorms at 17:40 pm. It would be 90 minutes before the remaining players returned to their positions, at 19:10 pm, with only an hour of daylight remaining.
It would need to a spring to the finish, but it was certainly not a race without bumps for Kaymer.
After making par at the 14th, an errant tee shot placed the German in an awkward position in the sodden pine straw, closely adjacent to a tree on the following hole. From here, he would conspire to make double bogey, with his lead over Furyk, who had since completed his tournament, trimmed to just one shot.
Entering the intimidating closing three holes of Pete Dye’s infamous design, Kaymer would make a very conservative par on the reachable par five 16th. Next up, it would be the iconic penultimate hole of his tantalising and quirky layout.
Perennially a site of drama, the 17th at Sawgrass would certainly shake the seemingly calm German. After his wedge from the tee narrowly missed finding a watery grave, following an incredible bounce from the ridge on the edge of the green above the tiny greenside bunker. Facing an awkward shot, Kaymer elected to play a chip across the green. However, his initial effort would finish woefully short, leaving him a near-30-foot putt to save par.
With Jim Furyk watching on in the clubhouse, Kaymer would salvage the situation by dramatically holing the putt to retain his one shot lead. There was a palpable sense of relief for Kaymer, and his faithful caddie Craig Connelly, but it seemed to settle the significant nerves of the position.
The 18th at the TPC is one of the last holes you would choose to have to close out a tournament on, particularly with darkness descending upon the property. However, Kaymer would dispatch the most perfect drive down the centre of the fairway, knowing that a par would see him clinch the PGA Tour’s flagship event.
His approach would finish just short of the green, and he played the percentage shot with his third, by electing to putt from that position. His approach effort was stunning, and threatened to finish in the hole, before settling three-feet past. Having holed a similar putt to claim victory for Europe in the Ryder Cup at Medinah two years ago, Kaymer calmly completed a one-shot win after the most dramatic of finishes.
It’s been a long time coming for Kaymer, who now joins an elite group with a major, WGC and Players victory. Having ascended to the summit of the golfing world in early 2011, Kaymer would attempt to change his game, in a pursuit of even greater capability, which would see him on a slope of decline ever since.
However, his hard work to restore his preciously machine-like and controlled fade has finally paid off, and the popular German can now look forward again after securing one of the game’s most prestigious titles.
It was hard work in the end for Martin Kaymer, but that has been the story of his past few years. But he finally has the reward for that endeavour, and having fallen from first to 63rd in the world, the only way is up for the fourth European winner of The Players Championship.