Steady finish hands victory to Martin Kaymer

Published on 03/12/2012 02:05

MARTIN Kaymer ensured it was a German double at Sun City this week as a final round of 69 
was enough to clinch a two-stroke victory in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player 
Country Club yesterday.

The German, who on Saturday saw countryman Bernhard Langer prevail in the Nedbank Champions Challenge, started the day at five-under par for the tournament and enjoyed a slender one-stroke lead when he teed off.

However, a bottleneck at the top meant he faced stiff competition with numerous players making early moves at the beginning of the final round. An eagle for Kaymer at the par-five second hole was immediately cancelled out by an ugly double-bogey at the third which sent him back to the chasing pack. South African Charl Schwartzel emerged as his closest challenger and the former Masters champion got to four-under for his round after a birdie at the 14th.

However, a loose bogey at the 17th hole effectively ended the crowd’s hopes of a home victory and Kaymer was able to coast home with three pars on the final three holes in the rain.

Kaymer’s final round of 69 helped him finish on an eight-under score of 280 for the tournament. The former world No 1 banked the lucrative winner’s cheque of $1.25 million in the 12-man invitational event.

Paul Lawrie, the leader after the second round, went over par for the second day running as he managed 74 to finish in sixth place overall.