Martin Kaymer turned what promised to be an exciting weekend duel with Rory McIlroy into a procession at the European PGA Tour’s Abu Dhabi Championship.
Seeking a fourth title in eight years in Abu Dhabi, Kaymer shot a 7-under 65 in the third round on Saturday to extend his overnight lead from one stroke to six.
He moved to 20-under-par 196 overall, a record low total at the event after 54 holes.
The US Open champion’s pace was too hot for McIlroy, whose putting failed to match his tee-to-green play as he shot 71.
The top-ranked McIlroy cut a forlorn figure at the end of his round, having dropped eight shots behind Kaymer and going from third place into a share of fifth.
“I feel like punching myself,” said McIlroy, who only missed two fairways and one green in regulation all day. “I’m going to try to win the other tournament – he (Martin) is playing different golf than everyone else.”
Belgium’s Thomas Pieters shot 70 to stay in second place but his chances of a first win on the European Tour were virtually dashed by another exhibition from Kaymer.
The numbers are mind-boggling. He is 107 under par on the National Course in 31 rounds, hasn’t dropped a shot in 43 holes and can break his record score of 24 under – set in 2011 – with a 67 or less on Sunday.
Kaymer’s three wins in Abu Dhabi – the opening event of the year for many players – came in 2008, ’10 and ’11 and he also has a second and fifth place.
The German birdied five of his first eight holes and somehow escaped dropping a shot for the first time since Thursday after hitting his second shot at No.10 into a bush. He took a drop, chipped from the desert into a greenside bunker, only to find the cup from the sand for the second straight day on that hole.
It brought a fist pump from Kaymer, who birdied Nos.11 and 13 before parring his way home on a third straight day of sunny skies and just a slight breeze. He opened the tournament with rounds of 64 and 67.
“I’m surprised the way I have played,” said Kaymer, who took nearly a month off around Christmas and admitted to being rusty in practice in the 10 days before Abu Dhabi.
“I had a little bit of a bad conscience coming here because I didn’t practice as much as I did in the past.”
“Hopefully I can stay in the 20s, that’s the first goal,” he added, looking ahead to Sunday. “I’m not really thinking of the record. To me, it is important to win the golf tournament.”
South Korea’s An Byeong-hun made a hole-in-one on No.15 for the fourth ace of tournament, which is two off the record set at the Mediterranean Open in 1991.
