19 Jan 2015

Kaymer blows 10-stroke lead in Abu Dhabi

11:14 am on 19 January 2015

The German golfer Martin Kaymer was left shell-shocked after surrendering a 10-stroke lead in the final round of the Abu Dhabi Championship.

Kaymer looked set for his fourth Abu Dhabi title, before it all went wrong. He started the day six shots in front and extended that to 10 after four holes, making it 47 holes without dropping a shot.

But some lackadaisical approach play 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, the 30-year-old finishing third with a total of 271 after carding a final round 75.

Kaymer's derailment handed victory to the French outsider Gary Stal, ranked 357 in the world.

22-year-old Stal posted a final round 65 to secure his first win on the European Tour by one shot from the world number one Rory McIlroy, with Kaymer, the US Open champion, another shot back in third place.