Martin Kaymer’s Quiet Golf Takeover

MARTIN KAYMER IS A SOFT-spoken German with the skills and nerve of an international cat burglar. On Sunday, the 25-year-old was spotted slipping away from the Old Course with yet another piece of valuable hardware, his third trophy caper in 56 days. He is the first player since Tiger Woods in 2006 to win three consecutive titles on the European Tour.

While Lee Westwood is poised to take the No. 1 ranking away from Woods, Kaymer is sneaking up on both of them. His victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship moves him to No. 4 in the Official World Golf Ranking behind Woods, Westwood and Phil Mickelson.

At St. Andrews on Sunday in cold and blustery conditions that produced plenty of sock hats and occasional over-sized mittens to warm hands, Kaymer posted a clever 66 that featured a birdie-birdie finish to win by three strokes. On the 17th, the famous Road Hole, he rolled in a lengthy putt from off the back of the green for an improbable birdie three. Then, at 18, Kaymer struck his approach shot from the paved road that crosses the fairway. The ball stopped six feet from the hole and rolled into the cup on the next stroke.

The German golf star flashed a grin like he had just cracked a safe and slipped the diamonds into his satchel, which, in a way, he had. The win was worth €580,046.40 and raises his season money total to €3,134,447. Kaymer now leads Graeme McDowell in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai by a wide margin.

“It was always one of my dreams to win here at St. Andrews,” he said.

Sure, why not? Martin Kaymer is checking a lot of things off his list in recent days. First major. (Check.) First Ryder Cup. (Check.) First win at the Old Course. (Check.)

In addition to winning the PGA Championship in August and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this weekend, Kaymer took the KLM Open in the Netherlands in September. Except for a thrashing in Ryder Cup singles at the hands of Dustin Johnson, it’s been a near-perfect two months for the Dusseldorf native.

At the moment, Kaymer is the world’s hottest player. Perhaps he’s also on his way to being the world’s top-ranked player.

−The Armchair Golfer

Celtic thriller as Europe triumph in Ryder Cup classic!

A victory roar from McDowell (left) and Poulter after clinching the Ryder Cup

A stunning days golf at the Celtic Manor in South Wales saw Europe win the closest Ryder Cup contest since Brookline, Massachusetts in 1999.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell won the final singles match to help Europe regain the trophy by the smallest possible margin, 14½ points to 13½ points.

Trailing 9-6½ going into the weather delayed finale, the United States fought back superbly to take the match to the wire. Only Europe's Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and Miguel Angel Jimenez managed to win their singles matches, whist victories in the singles today by American's Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Jeff Overton, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson brought the USA level with Europe at 13½ points apiece.

This meant it all went down to the final singles match between McDowell and Californian Hunter Mahan, as Europe went in search of the magical 14½ points needed for outright victory. McDowell, ironically the US Open champion kept his cool and held his nerve as Mahan was forced to concede defeat on the 17th green, sparking wild celebrations among the European team and the majority of the 35,000 fans.

HOW THE FINAL DAY UNFOLDED (BST)

0905: Westwood/Stricker start singles (Europe 9½-6½ USA)
1149: Europe up in 7 matches, USA in 4, one all-square
1247: Stricker beats Westwood 2&1 (9½-7½)
1248: D Johnson beats Kaymer 6&4 (9½-8½)
1302: Poulter beats Kuchar 5&4 (10½-8½)
1320: McIlroy halved with Cink (11-9)
1329: Donald beats Furyk 1up (12-9)
1403: Jimenez beats Watson 4&3 (13-9)
1409: Overton beats Fisher 3&2 (13-10)
1414: Woods beats F Molinari 4&3 (13-11)
1442: Mickelson beats Hanson 4&2 (13-12)
1501: E Molinari halved with Fowler (13½-12½)
1502: Z Johnson beats Harrington 4&3 (13½-13½)
1520: McDowell beats Mahan 3&1 (14½-13½)

"A fantastic result for Europe's golfers, a great advert for the game and a marvellous advert for sport."

Chicago, Illinois is the venue in two years time, when the USA will have the opportunity to regain the coverted trophy on home soil.

The 2010 Ryder Cup in detail: http://www.rydercup.com/2010/