Kaymer wins Race To Dubai

Martin Kaymer is the European Tour’s number one golfer for the 2010 season after wrapping up the Race to Dubai on Sunday.

German’s Martin Kaymer is the European Tour’s number one golfer for the 2010 season after wrapping up the Race to Dubai on Sunday

Kaymer missed out on the World No 1 ranking spot, but his 11th place finish in the Dubai World Championship at the plush Jumerirah Estate’s Greg-Norman-designed Earth Course after a slightly disappointing level-par 72 and closing 6-under total was more than enough to hold off US Open champion Graeme McDowell, his only realistic challenger for the crown, .

The Northern Irishman closed a frustrating week with a solid 4-under 68 but it wasn’t enough.

For while he actually finished alongside Kaymer at six-under, the German’s money lead coming into the year’s big finale was more than enough to earn him a staggering bonus of £932,024 from a £4.6million pool that rewards the leading 15 money-winners and it meant Germany’s, and indeed Europe’s, first winner of the US PGA Championship, had now also become the European Tour’s youngest money-leader since Ronan Rafferty in 1989 and had earned a special £932,024 bonus along with his 2010 European Crown.

McDowell will still be able to look back on a great year with his US Open title the jewel in a crown that included a brilliant run at the Ryder Cup which ended with his nerveless finish in the final singles match that tipped the scales in Europe’s favour

He said: “It’s been a dream season and it just so happened that Martin had an unbelievable season as well. It’s just been a great year for European golf and I’m very proud to be part of that.

“To give Martin a run for his money was very good, but things didn’t really go my way – it’s a golf course which continues to frustrate me. I played unbelievably well but could barely buy a putt.”

TOP 20 FINISHERS

1 Martin Kaymer (Ger) £3,806,024
2 Graeme McDowell £3,324,820
3 Lee Westwood (Eng) £2,749,291
4 Ian Poulter (Eng) £2,582,568
5 Francesco Molinari (Ita) £2,388,628
6 Robert Karlsson (Swe) £1,959,305
7 Ernie Els (RSA) £1,929,547
8 Charl Schwartzel (RSA) £1,883,782
9 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) £1,859,426
10 Louis Oosthuizen (RSA) £1,766,724
11 Edoardo Molinari (Ita) £1,714,316,
12 Paul Casey (Eng) £1,611,520,
13 Rory McIlroy £1,553,675,
14 Alvaro Quiros (Spa) £1,493,274,
15 Luke Donald (Eng) £1,431,689,
16 Ross Fisher (Eng) £1,189,058,
17 Peter Hanson (Swe) £1,128,231,
18 Rhys Davies (Wal) £1,039,709,
19 Anders Hansen (Den) £994,837,
20 Padraig Harrington (Irl) £976,900

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