Abu Dhabi - Martin Kaymer is a famed front runner but he was left shell-shocked after surrendering a 10-stroke lead in the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday.
Going into the final 18, Kaymer began six strokes ahead of his nearest rival and seemed set for a fourth Abu Dhabi title.
A day earlier he had professed his confidence in cementing such a lead, highlighting his triumph at June's U.S. Open where he triumphed by eight strokes.
He began well on the National course, rattling in three birdies in the opening four holes, stretching his advantage to 10 strokes and making it 47 holes without dropping a shot.
But some lackadaisical approach play - a trait that was apparent in earlier rounds but which went unpunished - proved his undoing. A bogey, a double-bogey and a triple-bogey in the space of eight holes after being forced to take two penalty drops cost him dear.
“I'm surprised... shocked. I don't really know how to put it into words,” Kaymer told reporters.
“Twice I missed the grass and I was in a bush. I had to drop it in the sand. Then you get a bad lie and then it's tough to make bogey. I haven't done that all week long. Unfortunately I did today and (it) cost me the tournament.”
Kaymer's U.S. Open triumph ended a three-year title drought on the European Tour, a barren spell that had led him to slide down the rankings from world number one in 2011 to outside the top 60 as recently as last May.
But after years of struggling to capture his early-career promise, it seemed the German had rediscovered the form required to consistently vie for golf's big prizes. Such a prognosis may now be in doubt following Sunday's meltdown, although the 30-year-old remained upbeat.
“The positives are I was playing really good golf,” said the two-times major winner. “That was nice after such a long break, when you play the first three days, I played so solid, missed barely a fairway.”
Kaymer finished third with a total of 271 after carding a final round 75. France Gary Stal (65) won the Falcon Trophy with 269 and world number one Rory McIlroy (66) was second on 270. – Reuters