Martin Kaymer completed a dominant display in the US Open at Pinehurst by claiming an eight shot win and in doing so became the first German player to win the US Open. Kaymer took a five-shot lead into the final round and was never in danger of being caught. The 29-year-old carded a closing 69 to finish nine under par and eight shots in front of American duo Rickie Fowler and Erik Compton, becoming the eighth player in US Open history to lead outright after every round after Walter Hagen (1914), James Barnes (1921), Ben Hogan (1953), Tony Jacklin (1970), Tiger Woods (2000, 2002) and McIlroy (2011).
Successive rounds of 65 - the lowest in a US Open at Pinehurst - meant Kaymer had equalled the lowest halfway total in major championship history, as well as eclipsing the US Open record of 131 set by Rory McIlroy at Congressional in 2011. His six-shot halfway lead also matched the championship record shared by Tiger Woods (2000) and McIlroy (2011), while he joined McIlroy in becoming the only players to reach double digits under par in the first two rounds.
A third round of 72 in testing conditions succeeded in only reducing his lead by a single shot and no-one got within four in a final round which may have lacked drama, but which succeeded in identifying a worthy winner now back on the fringes of the world's top 10 after lying outside the top 60 only last month. Kaymer never looked like becoming the first player since Mike Brady in 1919 to relinquish a five-shot lead after 54 holes. Faced with two putts from long range on the 18th to win and ensure Europe retained the trophy, Kaymer charged his birdie attempt seven feet past the hole. What happened next crowned the 'Miracle at Medinah' - a moment Kaymer admitted this week could have ruined his career if it had gone the wrong way. Rory McILroy ended up on 6 over which was one shot better than Graeme McDowell.
