Kaymer lets his clubs do the talking

GOLF: Philip Reidtalks to the new major winner and how he hopes to make the game more popular in his native Germany

ON THE outside, Martin Kaymer purred like one of those so-efficient cars for which his country is renowned. He seemed unflappable.

On the inside, though, the German – who claimed a maiden major when defeating the US Tour’s longest hitter Bubba Watson in a three-hole play-off for the US PGA at Whistling Straits on Sunday – admitted in his understated way to being, “not so calm in the final round, to be honest”.

Kaymer, in truth, let his clubs do the talking in becoming the sixth first-time winner in the last seven majors and the second German, following in the footsteps of Bernhard Langer, to win a major.

In a final round which players would later describe alternatively as “weird” and “wild”, Kaymer – who sank a 15-foot par putt on the 72nd hole for a final round 70 for 277, 11 under, to join Watson (68) on that mark – emerged from a three-hole play-off with the American where the 18th hole, named “Dye-abolical” after the course designer Pete Dye, again lived up to its name in wreaking havoc on a potential champion.

In regulation, Dustin Johnson, who held a one-stroke lead standing on the 18th tee, had carved his shot wildly into the galleries down the right but, more pertinently, into a bunker that he thought was merely a trampled-down sandy area and he was subsequently given a two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a sand trap which dropped him from a share of the lead down to fifth.

Then, in the play-off, the 18th hole – a par four of 500 yards – proved to be the downfall for Watson.

After playing the 10th and the 17th, the first two holes of the play-off, Kaymer and Watson were level – on one under – and, so, were effectively in a winner-take-all scenario once returning to the finishing hole where both players found the right-hand rough.

On walking up to his ball, Kaymer originally planned on playing a six-iron approach towards the front of the green. His strategy, however, changed after Watson – playing first – sent his approach shot into Seven Mile Creek for a watery grave.

Kaymer, then, decided to chip out and hit a seven-iron approach for his third to 15-feet.

“When he hit it in the water hazard, I thought, ‘the best he can make is five’, so I thought if I laid up and give myself a chance for par, I’d give myself a chance to win the PGA Championship,” said Kaymer.

The pressure was on Watson, and he compounded his problems by airmailing the green to find a bunker.

The drama wasn’t over just yet, though, as Watson then hit the flagstick with his chip.

In the end, he ran up a double bogey six – and all Kaymer had to do was to two-putt for a bogey which gave him the title.

The victory also moved Kaymer ahead of Ulster’s Graeme McDowell to the top of the European Tour’s money list and to a career-high fifth on the official world rankings.

Kaymer, who plans to take up his US Tour card in 2011 and combine playing in the States while retaining his European Tour card, grew up playing soccer and golf until his parents gave him an ultimatum to make a decision on which sport to pursue.

He was 15 at the time and, now, 10 years on, he aims to continue following in the footsteps of Langer.

“I’m trying to make golf more popular in Germany. Bernhard Langer inspired me when I was a kid, and I hope that I can inspire teenagers as well.”