Double Major winning Martin Kaymer squandered a 10-shot lead to hand little known Frenchman Gary Stal victory in the 10th anniversary Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Bizarrely, the celebratory catch phrase for the week was ‘Expect the Unexpected’ and that’s what transpired in the UAE capital.
Stal, 22 and ranked 357th in the world came from eight shots adrift of the double Major winning German posting a final round 65 and win by a shot with a 19-under par tally.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy grabbed his fourth second place in the event shooting a last day 66 to finish second on 18-under par.
Martin Kaymer lets slip a 10 shot leading cushion to finish third in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Kaymer, who was looking to win the event for a fourth occasion, buckled under the weight of a 75 to finish third on 17-under par.
Kaymer, looking to win the event for a fourth time, was left shell-shocked after posting a 75 for third place at 17-under par.
“I am surprised, a little shocked and I don’t really know how to put it into words,” he said. “It was very, very surprising today. I started off well and hit a couple bad tee shots and cost me double‑bogey and a triple‑bogey.
“The positives is I was playing really good golf. That was nice after such a long break, when you play the first three days, I played so solid, missed barely a fairway. And today was a little bit different. But there’s still a lot of positive, and that’s tough to say after that round. I certainly was shocked.”
It is the second Tour event in succession a Major Champion has blown a Tour event after Masters winner Charl Schwartzel let slip a five-shot third round to lose out last week to England’s Andy Sullivan in a play-off for the South African Open.
And Kaymer survived a rules scare when a TV arm chair critic phoned to complain after marking his ball on the 12th green, Kaymer handed the ball to his Glasgow caddy, Craig Connelly.
Kaymer then walked to the other side of the flagstick to survey his putt and with Connelly placing Kaymer’s ball a few feet behind the marker so Kaymer could better see the putt.
Tournament Director, Miguel Vidador naturally cleared Kaymer of any rules breach.
