SCORESHEET
DAY 3
DAY 2
DAY 1
September 12th 2010, Hilversum, Netherlands: Martin Kaymer made a winning return from his US PGA Championship triumph as he cruised to victory at the KLM Open with a ruthless display of precision golf.
A 14 under par total for the week was more than enough for golf’s newest Major Champion, as he ran out winner by four strokes.
After birdieing the last two holes of his third round to lead by one, the German quickly extended the lead over playing partners Fabrizio Zanotti and Christian Nilsson to three.
Paraguayan Zanotti and Swede Nilsson both dropped a shot at the first, and when the 25 year old birdied the second he began to dominate proceedings.
An unerring display of accuracy saw him make 17 greens in regulation - his display leaving the rest of the field needing something special to mount a challenge that never seriously materialised.
Nilsson did briefly reduce the gap to two when he chipped in from the rough on the par three 15th.
But at the next he pulled his drive left, hit his approach into the greenside bunker and then chipped through the green en route to a bogey.
Kaymer, on the other hand, responded by splitting the fairway off the tee, hitting a gorgeous seven iron approach to six feet and holing for birdie.
His four shot lead was never likely to be in danger at that point, and Kaymer underlined his supremacy with an approach to ten feet at the 17th, although he did miss the birdie chance.
But he birdied the par five last for a second consecutive four under par round of 66.
Zanotti and Nilsson shared second on ten under, while Open Championship winner Louis Oosthuizen, who made the cut on the mark, moved through the field with a 65 to join David Horsey, Jose Manuel Lara and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño in a share of fourth on nine under.
Kaymer’s triumph was the fifth victory in a row by a member of Europe's Ryder Cup Team.
"I think I am ready to win again," the World Number Six had said on the eve of his return to action after three weeks off celebrating.
Kaymer's second successive victory takes him almost €500,000 clear of Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell - Europe's other current Major Champion - at the top of The Race to Dubai.
He also joins another cup team-mate, Miguel Angel Jiménez, as a three-time winner this season.
"I felt very strong and I was very patient," said Kaymer.
"The Majors are the biggest tournaments we play all year and if you win one of those it gives you probably the biggest confidence you can get.
"It was my goal to play well here, but I was not expecting to win again. It's a nice feeling."
Kaymer's triumph at Whistling Straits last month started the amazing run of success by Colin Montgomerie's men.
Peter Hanson won a week later at the Czech Open, then Edoardo Molinari in the Johnnie Walker Championship and Jiménez last week at the Omega European Masters.
His only mistake on the final day was a bogey at the short tenth, but he had gone to the turn in 33 to be three clear and a birdie two holes later widened the gap again.
Zanotti and Nilsson produced performances that will ensure they keep their European Tour cards for next season, having gone into the event precariously placed on The Race to Dubai.
Francesco Molinari and Ross Fisher were the other two Ryder Cup players in the field and they finished eighth and 11th respectively.
