DUBLIN, Ohio – Despite coughing up a two-shot lead in an attempt to end a five-year victory drought, Martin Kaymer’s smile didn’t flinch Sunday at the Memorial.
Kaymer hasn’t won anywhere since capturing the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, but he appeared in great position to do so this week after racing out to a 15 under total through three rounds. Instead the German endured a difficult final round as Patrick Cantlay raced past him, leaving Kaymer alone in third place after an even-par 72.
Kaymer shared that he set a goal of reaching 18 or 19 under par entering the day, but that total at best would have gotten him into a playoff with Cantlay, who closed with a bogey-free 64 to reach 19 under.
“I mean, all credit to Patrick,” Kaymer said. “He played a great round of golf. He deserved to win. Nineteen under par is amazing.”
Kaymer appeared to suffer some sort of injury to a finger on his right hand in the middle of the final round, as TV cameras caught him examining it closely multiple times on the back nine. But he insisted it did not factor into the result or his play down the stretch.
“It kept bleeding. I don’t know, I think it was a blister, just opened up,” Kaymer said. “So a bit annoying, but didn’t change anything in my golf swing. It didn’t bother me at all. You put some tape on it and it’s fine.”
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Kaymer pinpointed the critical stretch of Nos. 12-15 as the juncture where he lost control of a tournament he had been leading of much of the previous two days. He stepped to the 12th tee with a one-shot lead, but by the time he walked off the 15th green he was three shots behind Cantlay and essentially out of the tournament.
“Those four holes, I made a couple of bogeys and no birdies,” Kaymer said. “The other guys, they made birdies. It was a very vital time. I knew that you can’t really make any mistakes coming down the stretch.”
Kaymer entered the week ranked No. 186 in the world, and this marks his first top-10 finish on the PGA Tour since the 2017 Honda Classic. He shared that his summer schedule may now be in flux as he looks to qualify for The Open, which he hasn’t missed since 2007 and which would not have awarded him an exemption for a victory Sunday.
While his winless drought will extend at least to the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, Kaymer was pleased with the progress he made during his first Memorial appearance in a decade.
“I played good golf all week. Today I just didn’t make as many putts,” Kaymer said. “To shoot level par today wasn’t my greatest round, but overall I’m very happy with the way I played golf, and especially now for the next few weeks coming up.”