Global Golf Post - September 13, 2010

HILVERSUM, NETHERLANDS | Two years ago at Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky, European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo brought the then-25- year-old Martin Kaymer across the Atlantic to experience the atmosphere of the event.

Faldo rightly reckoned that the young German, even though not a playing member of the squad, would one day be a stalwart on the European side and he wanted him to soak up as much of the intensity as possible.

Last month at Wisconsin’s vexing Whistling Straits, Kaymer outlasted American Bubba Watson in a playoff and captured the PGA Championship. Sunday at Hilversumsche Golf Club, Kaymer breezed to a four-shot victory in the KLM Open.

So now, when he arrives at Celtic Manor in Wales for the Ryder Cup matches that begin two weeks from Friday, Kaymer will own a two-event winning streak and, arguably, the label as the hottest player in the world.

Faldo’s team at Valhalla got thrashed soundly by the Americans and his critics railed at many of his strategic decisions. But no one can argue the decision to expose Kaymer to the cauldron that is the Ryder Cup.

Kaymer’s winning total at the KLM was 14-under-par 266. That included rounds of

Christian Nilsson and Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti, playing in the final group with Kaymer, wound up at 10-under 270.

American Todd Hamilton, who won the Open Championship in 2004 and stayed close to Kaymer much of Sunday, bogeyed the last two holes and faded to a disappointing T11.

“I set out to be consistent in the final round,”
said Kaymer, sounding very much like his Hall
of Fame countryman Bernhard Langer. “I just
wanted to give myself chances and avoid high
numbers. Which is what I did. And my swing felt
very nice.”
To be sure, it looked nice as well. The vic-
tory was his seventh on the European Tour and
stretched his lead in the Race To Dubai over No.
2 Graeme McDowell to close to €500,000.

One of the key questions now becomes who Montgomerie will pair Kaymer with in the

Ryder Cup matches that begin Oct. 1. Let
the lobbying begin.
Kaymer said he would especially be
pleased if Montgomerie teamed him with
Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy against
the Americans.
Meanwhile, four
players – Gonzalo
Fernandez-Casta-
no, David Horsey,
Jose Manuel Lara and
reigning Open Champion
Louis Oosthuizen – tied for
fourth. Oosthuizen and
Lara both closed with
65s. RESULTS
Staff and Wire Reports