Martin Kaymer's collapse in Abu Dhabi ws a stunner for sure, he had been in such control for 3 days and 4 holes, but it just goes back to the old adage " the toughest golf course in the world is the one between your ears"
When you have been playing perfect golf, it seems as soon as you hit a loose drive, or make a bogey, it is on a tapestry of that perfection and suddenly there is doubt..which spreads as quickly as unwanted weeds in a perfect garden..
Kaymer's bogey at #6 was his first in 59 holes, then the double at #9 followed, and the triple at #13 sealed his demise..
Meanwhile the momentum was al heading the other way for 22 year old Frenchman Gary Stal who had started the day eight behind, but went to the turn in 32 and birdied the tenth just as two-time Kaymer was beginning to falter.
The German double bogeyed the ninth after finding the desert scrub, and after Stal picked up another shot from 15 feet at the 11th the gap was down to two.
Kaymer found more trouble in desert down the left of the 13th, and ran up a triple bogey seven after duffing a pitch from the fairway to slip one behind.
Stal then holed from 20 feet at the 16th for birdie, and neither Kaymer nor World Number One Rory McIlroy could stop the 22 year old over the closing holes.
McIlroy almost holed from the sand at the last to force a play-off, but the four-time Major winner instead had to settle for a fourth runner-up finish in the event on 18 under, with Kaymer a shot further back in third following a round of 75.
Stal moves from 357 to 102 in world rankings with this his first win, and he sets the biggest comeback win in the 10 year history of the event, 8 shots... but it will always be remembered as the tournament that the King of Abu Dhabi blew..
Sony Open final scoreboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/sony-open-in-hawaii/leaderboard.html
Speaking of blowing leads, last week at Kapalua Jimmy Walker had a 3 shot lead standing on the15th tee and lost it all to Patrick Reed, not so this week at Waialae.
He was full value in defending his title blistering the course with 62 63, 19 under par for the weekend and a 9 shot win (-23 257) over Scott Piercy, who finished with a 66 good for second. Matt Kuchar, who was two shots behind a the start of the round, didn’t make one birdie and shot 71 T3, along with Harris English (67) and Gary Woodland (67).
It was Walker's 4th PGA tour win..
As for our 3 Canadians...
David Hearn shot a final-round 68 T51 at -5 275. Roger Sloan finished alone in 67th at -1 279. Nick Taylor T68 at E 280.
Bryan Angus
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