Kaymer and Stal reflect on 2015 Abu Dhabi Championship drama

Joy Chakravarty 18:38 19/01/2016
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  • Kaymer (l) let slip a huge lead that allowed Stal to claim the win.

    A three-time champion on Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s National Course, it would have been easy to think Kaymer can do nothing wrong on this turf.

    And then, Sunday of last year’s tournament happened.

    Ahead by 10 shots mid-way through the final round, Kaymer was cruising towards a crushing win when The Machine faltered. He suddenly started leaking shots and in the end, finished two shots behind champion Gary Stal in third place.

    “I don’t want it to overshadow my whole success and the great experience and one of the best emotions I had on the golf course. I really don’t want that,” said Kaymer.

    “It was only two hours. I had 50, may be 55 other great hours here before on the golf course, so I’d rather focus on that.

    “Of course, once in a while, you do think about it. It’s just human and very normal. And I’m sure it might happen this week, as well.

    “I have spoken about it positively. You have the choice if you talk negatively or positive, and I chose to be positive. You need to ask yourself right questions, that is very important. You need to be very honest with yourself and find out a solution why that happened and find answers, and I certainly did.”

    Kaymer is making his 10th appearance in Abu Dhabi and said the UAE capital will always a special place in his heart.

    “It’s very special because my first ever tournament win on the European Tour was here,” said the 30-year-old about his win in 2008.

    “What every child, what every teenager when they turn pro, that is what they dream of and this was the place where I could celebrate and fulfill that dream.

    “So even if you take the other two wins out of it, it will always be a very special place for me, because I think everybody remembers their first win. Luckily for me, it happened in one of greatest places that we go and one of the best golf courses, in my opinion, that we play.”

    Kaymer is scheduled to play the first two rounds with world No5 Henrik Stenson and the defending champion Gary Stal, with the trio teeing off at 7:50am on the opening day.

    Stal said as unfortunate as the situation was with Kaymer last year, he never felt as if the tournament was handed over to him on a plate.

    “That 65, I could have done maybe a couple of putts more. I could have done a little bit better. But I didn’t miss a green and I had a lot of putts that did drop. I feel that was probably one of my better rounds,” said the reigning champion.

    “If I had won the tournament on the 18th because whoever was leading made a triple-bogey there, then yes, I would have been lucky.

    “But I knew that I was already leading on the 14th hole, and I resisted the pressure. On top of that, I shot a 65. It was unfortunate Martin lost the lead, but I feel that I deserved the victory. I feel good about my victory.”

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