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Kaymer Cruises to US Open Triumph
Mickelson Optimistic Despite More US Open Failure
Kaymer Cruises to US Open Triumph
Former world number one Kaymer, whose first major title came at the 2010 PGA Championship, finished 72 holes on nine-under 271, the second-lowest total in US Open history after Rory McIlroy's 268 in 2011.
"It was probably the toughest day that I played golf," Kaymer said of his final-round effort. "I stayed aggressive and I played very brave. So I'm very proud of that.
"I'm very happy. It's a very nice and very satisfying feeling."
Kaymer displayed poise under pressure while calmly making long clutch putts on tricky turtle-backed greens on his way to a top prize of $1.62 million.
He followed a US Open record-low start of back-to-back 65s with a 72 to lead by five entering the last round and then maintained his edge to the end, matching McIlroy's 2011 win margin as the fourth biggest in US Open history.
"I didn't make many mistakes," Kaymer said. "I played solid the first two days and that gave me a cushion for the weekend. To play the weekend one-over at Pinehurst, that made me very happy."
- No catching Kaymer -
Americans Rickie Fowler and Erik Compton shared second on 279 after each fired a final-round 72, but no one came within four strokes of Kaymer at any point in the final round.
"No one was catching Kaymer this week," Compton said. "We all were playing for second."
The victory culminated a comeback for Kaymer, who struggled after his major triumph and went almost three years without a PGA win until taking last month's Players Championship.
Kaymer became only the seventh player to win after leading every round, joining a select champions' list that includes Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, James Barnes and Tony Jacklin.
"It's a lot (of pressure leading all the way), especially if you play on a different continent," Kaymer said. "It was a very nice week, very nice day."
The 29-year-old from Dusseldorf became the first man from continental Europe to win the US Open crown and the fourth European winner in five seasons.
Kaymer, who will jump from 28th to 11th in the world rankings as a result of the triumph, matched the career major total of Germany's only other major winner, Bernhard Langer, who captured the 1985 and 1993 Masters titles.
"I'm sure it will make all Germany proud," Kaymer said. "We have almost a German grand slam. Only the British Open is missing."
Kaymer became the first man to win the Players and US Open in the same year and joined Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Hal Sutton in winning the Players and a major in the same year.
Never allowing foes near enough to challenge, Kaymer drove the green to birdie the par-4 third and took a bogey at the seventh after putting around a bunker to avoid a risky chip.
Fowler, who shared fifth at the Masters, faded after a double bogey at the fourth and Compton endured a roller-coaster run of three birdies and four bogeys from the fifth to 12th holes.
Kaymer made a six-foot birdie at the ninth then took a bogey at the par-5 10th after sending his approach over the green and then putting off the front of the green.
Kaymer birdied 13 and 14 to stretch his margin, giving one shot back with a bogey at 16 before he sank a 15-foot par put at 18 -- a fitting end to a week where his putting simply sizzled.
"Martin was playing his own golf tournament," Fowler said. "To look at him, to see how well he controls his golf game, pushes me a little bit because I wasn't that far back."
- As good as winning for Compton -
Compton, twice a heart transplant recipient and playing in only his second major, achieved his best PGA finish and took home $789,330, more than his best prior season and almost as much as in his prior 19 starts this year combined.
"For me to do this at such a high level is just as good a feeling as winning," said Compton, who received his first new heart at age 12 in 1992 and underwent a second transplant in 2008.
"I'm thrilled. It's just a real special moment. It's a career-opening thing for me, to put myself on the map and prove to the world I'm not just the guy with two heart transplants."
Sweden's second-ranked Henrik Stenson, who would have become world number one with a victory, shared fourth on 281 with Australian Jason Day and Americans Brooks Koepka, Keegan Bradley and Dustin Johnson.
Mickelson Optimistic Despite More US Open Failure
PINEHURST, June 16, 2014 (AFP) - Phil Mickelson looks with optimism at defending his British Open title next month after his dream of completing a career grand slam with a US Open triumph ended in disappointment.
On the eve of his 44th birthday, the American left-hander fired a final-round 72, two-over par, on Sunday at Pinehurst to finish on seven over 287, 16 strokes behind winner Martin Kaymer of Germany in a share of 28th.
Mickelson, who has finished second at the US Open a record six times, said he remains confident he will one day win the his national championship.
"I believe in the next five years I'm going to have three or four really good chances and I do believe I will get it," Mickelson said. "I'm not upset or disappointed. I will have more chances."
Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen are the only players to have won each of the four majors at least once.
"It didn't happen this week, but I feel confident it will happen in the coming years," Mickelson said. "Hopefully I'll get it done. It would be one of the great career achievements if I could get it done."
Three-time Masters winner Mickelson has not had a top-10 finish in a US PGA event this year and as he prepares to defend his crown from Muirfield next month at Hoylake, he must work upon his putting, as short putt misses doomed his hopes by the weekend even as he says other areas of his game are rounding into shape.
"I've got to get some momentum and get my game sharp for me to really have a chance at winning, and I'm going to spend the next five, six weeks seeing if I can get that to get it going to finish the year strong," Mickelson said.
"My game's slowly coming back. For me to throw five shots away each day and to easily make the cut and move up, I don't feel like I'm that far off, but I've got some work to do."
That means working on his plans to defend the Claret Jug.
"I'll start getting ready for Hoylake and I'm optimistic about the end of the year, but I'm excited about the coming years, too," Mickelson said.
"This year has been a great learning year for me as far as certain areas of my game. I haven't quite peaked with them yet, but I feel like I actually learned a few things and picked up some things for the coming years."
- No margin for error -
Mickelson saw Pinehurst, with its sandy and weedy areas in place of dense rough, as a good warm-up for the British Open challenge.
"It feels like a British Open, as brown as the fairways are, as dry as they are, as much as the ball's running, as firm as the ground is around the greens," Mickelson said.
"There's a lot of the skill set needed at the British Open that's taking place out here at Pinehurst. There's no rough, no hack it out rough, around the green, so you've seen all kind of bum shots lob shots, putts around being utilized much like an Open."
Mickelson knows there is no margin for error with players such as Kaymer finishing eight strokes clear of the field.
"You've got to put it all together to win a major championship," Mickelson said. "In this day and age, somebody's going to play well. You can't get by with scraping it around."
Scores after Sunday's final round of the 114th US Open golf championship at par-70 Pinehurst:
271 - Martin Kaymer (GER) 65-65-72-69
279 - Erik Compton (USA) 72-68-67-72, Rickie Fowler (USA) 70-70-67-72
281 - Keegan Bradley (USA) 69-69-76-67, Jason Day (AUS) 73-68-72-68, Brooks Koepka (USA) 70-68-72-71, Dustin Johnson (USA) 69-69-70-73, Henrik Stenson (SWE) 69-69-70-73
282 - Adam Scott (AUS) 73-67-73-69, Jimmy Walker (USA) 70-72-71-69, Brandt Snedeker (USA) 69-68-72-73
283 - Jim Furyk (USA) 73-70-73-67, Marcel Siem (GER) 70-71-72-70, Justin Rose (ENG) 72-69-70-72, Kevin Na (USA) 68-69-73-73, Matt Kuchar (USA) 69-70-71-73
284 - Brendon Todd (USA) 69-67-79-69, Ian Poulter (ENG) 70-70-74-70, JB Holmes (USA) 70-71-72-71, Jordan Spieth (USA) 69-70-72-73
285 - Cody Gribble (USA) 72-72-72-69, Steve Stricker (USA) 70-71-73-71
286 - Billy Horschel (USA) 75-68-73-70, Aaron Baddeley (AUS) 70-71-73-72, Shiv Kapur (IND) 73-70-71-72, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 71-68-74-73, Francesco Molinari (ITA) 69-71-72-74
287 - Daniel Berger (USA) 72-71-78-66, Graeme McDowell (NIR) 68-74-75-70, Kenny Perry (USA) 74-69-74-70, Phil Mickelson (USA) 70-73-72-72, Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 70-72-70-75, Brendon de Jonge (ZIM) 68-70-73-76, Chris Kirk (USA) 71-68-72-76
288 - Patrick Reed (USA) 71-72-73-72, Ernie Els (RSA) 74-70-72-72, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 73-71-72-72, Bill Haas (USA) 72-72-71-73, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 69-71-74-74
289 - Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) 71-73-78-67, Zac Blair (USA) 71-74-73-71, Zach Johnson (USA) 71-74-72-72, Lucas Bjerregard (DEN) 70-72-72-75, Garth Mulroy (RSA) 71-72-70-76
290 - Danny Willett (ENG) 70-71-78-71, Webb Simpson (USA) 71-72-73-74, Retief Goosen (RSA) 73-71-71-75
291 - Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG) 71-73-78-69, Billy Hurley (USA) 71-74-75-71, Harris English (USA) 69-75-75-72, Ryan Moore (USA) 76-68-71-76
292 - Noh Seung-Yul (KOR) 70-72-76-74, Gary Woodland (USA) 72-71-75-74
293 - Scott Langley (USA)72-71-75-75, Stewart Cink (USA) 72-72-74-75
294 - Fran Quinn (USA) 68-74-79-73, Paul Casey (ENG) 70-75-74-75, Nicholas Lindheim (USA) 72-73-72-77
295 - Justin Leonard (USA) 75-70-75-75
297 - Russell Henley (USA) 70-74-82-71, Kevin Tway (USA) 72-72-81-72, Alex Cejka (GER) 73-71-77-76
298 - Kevin Stadler (USA) 77-68-78-75, Clayton Rask (USA) 73-71-77-77, Bo Van Pelt (USA) 72-72-75-79
299 - Boo Weekley (USA) 71-73-80-75
309 - Toru Taniguchi (JPN) 72-73-88-76