US Open: Kaymer breaks one-hit wonder jinx

Title propels German to 11th place in new world rankings.

PINEHURST: Martin Kaymer proved to his friends and himself that he is no one-hit wonder when it comes to winning major golf titles with a dominating four-day performance to win the US Open.

The 29-year-old German captured his second major title Sunday by grinding out a one-under 69 final round at Pinehurst to complete a wire-to-wire triumph by a staggering eight shots.

Kaymer joined Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy and Seve Ballesteros as multiple major winners who also attained the world number one ranking before turning 30.

“It’s very tough to compare yourself to those legends,” said Kaymer. “When other people want to call me that, it’s fine. To win one major is already very nice in your career, but to win two, it means a lot more.”

Kaymer, who ended a PGA-level win drought of nearly three years by winning the Players Championship last month, had been taunted even by buddies after an 11-week stay atop the rankings slipped away to a spot outside the top 60 at one stage.

The German is up to 11th place in the world rankings now following his win. “Some friends, they called me one-hit wonder with the majors, obviously in a funny way,” he said.

“And now I can go back and show them this one.
It’s proof to yourself that you cannot only win one, but you can win when it matters. You can win big tournaments.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2014.

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