Martin Kaymer has displaced Tiger Woods as the World No.2 after coasting to victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday.
Kaymer only needed a top seven finish to be sure of deposing Woods but he never looked like surrendering the lead he first seized in the second round.
Back-to-back birdies at the second and third holes got his final round off to a flying start. Four more birdies on the back nine saw him finish on a tournament record 24-under par.
The 25-year-old’s elevation to World No.2 behind England’s Lee Westwood — who finished the tournament down in 64th place — means that Europe now hold the top two places in the rankings.
It’s a feat which hasn’t happened for 18 years when England’s Nick Faldo and Germany’s Bernhard Langer held the top two spots in July 1993.
“I think for Lee and me, it’s a very nice position to be No.1 and No.2 in the world. You can see how strong European golf became the last few years, and not only through The Ryder Cup, just if you have a look at the Major winners last year,” Kaymer said, EuropeanTour.com reported.
A flawless final round of 66 saw the German finish a massive eight shots clear of his nearest rival, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.
Compatriot Graeme McDowell finished one place further back in a tie for third with South Africa’s Retief Goosen, who jumped 12 places after a superb final round of 64.
Kaymer’s emphatic win was his third in four years in Abu Dhabi, but the 2010 U.S.PGA champion believes there’s still room for improvement in his game.
“I never expected my career to go this fast. There was not a lot to improve this week, but there’s always something and I’ll be working on my game before Qatar in two weeks,” he said, EuropeanTour.com reported.
