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Kaymer blows a 10-shot lead in Abu Dhabi

Expert
19th January, 2015
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Nightmare memories of Greg Norman meltdowns were revisited overnight when Germany’s Martin Kaymer blew a 10-shot lead in the final round at Abu Dahbi to finish third, two shots off the pace.

Twenty two-year-old Frenchman Gary Stal, ranked 357 in the world, fired in a final round of 65 to edge out world number one Rory McIlroy (66) by a shot.

Kaymer’s 75 came from left field. Renowned as a front-runner, Kaymer started with a six-shot lead and birdied three of the first four holes to open up a 10-shot gap at 23-under. But a bogey at six, a double at 10, and a triple at 13, and the wheels had fallen off.

That opened the door for the virtually unknown Stal, whose best finish on the European tour was fifth since he turned pro in 2012, to claim his first victory. Kaymer was obviously gobsmacked, and no knows better than Greg Norman, who has felt that pain far too many times.

‘The Shark’ will long be remembered for blowing a six-shot lead over his playing partner Nick Faldo in the final round of the 1996 US Masters. Norman shot 78 and Faldo 67 for the Englishman to win by five, but Norman still finished second.

Norman’s great mate Nick Price left Augusta midway through the round saying, “I can’t stand to watch this”. But there have been other long-standing nightmares. Norman is still the only golfer in the modern era to lose all four majors to Americans in play-offs.

They were the 1984 US Open to Fuzzy Zoeller, the 1987 US Masters to Larry Mize, the 1989 British Open to Mark Calcavvechia, and the 1993 USPGA to Paul Azinger.

But there were four other majors where Norman held the 54-hole, only to be mown down on the Sunday.

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The 1986 Masters, where Jack Nicklaus came from behind to win, the 1986 US Open, where Raymond Floyd was successful, the 1986 USPGA, with Bob Tway the winner, and the 1995 US Open won by Corey Pavin.

While Greg Norman has held a mortage on major meltdowns, there have been others worth recalling.

Like Jean van der Velde in the 1999 Brish Open, leading the field by three shots with a hole to play. The Frenchman’s triple bogey at the last forced a play-off won by Scot Paul Lawrie, who made up a 10-shot deficit on the Sunday.

Or Adam Scott leading the 2012 British Open by four with four holes to play. Scott finished bogey, bogey, bogey, bogey for Ernie Els to sneak home by a shot.

Or Arnold Palmer, another great front-runner, blowing a seven-shot lead in the 1966 US Open in the final round only to be caught by Billy Casper, who won the play-off the next day.

Or Sammy Snead, who enjoyed a two-shot lead in the 1947 US Open with three to play, missing a three-foot putt on the last to allow an unknown Lew Worsham to win. ‘Slammin’ Sammy never won a US Open.

And McIlroy, who went so close in Abu Dhabi overnight, with his meltdown in the 2011 Masters, leading by four shots. But a triple at the 10th and a double at the 12th ended his campaign, shooting a final round 80.

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All bad memories, but for the moment Martin Kaymer is the latest who has to live with his demons.

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