Martin Kaymer’s victory at the US PGA Championship marked the second consecutive success in Major tournaments by former Challenge Tour players, following Louis Oosthuizen’s triumph at The Open Championship.
The German’s play-off victory at Whistling Straits was the first time a former Challenge Tour graduate had tasted success at the US PGA Championship, following wins for New Zealand’s Michael Campbell at the 2005 US Open Championship, South African Trevor Immelman at the 2008 Masters Tournament, and Immelman’s compatriot Oosthuizen at St Andrews last month.
Of that trio it is perhaps Immelman whose career path Kaymer has most closely followed, with both men having made an immediate impression by capturing their maiden Challenge Tour titles on debut.
For Immelman at the 2000 Tusker Kenya Open read Kaymer at the 2006 Vodafone Challenge, held in his native Dusseldorf.
The fresh-faced 21 year old had already caused quite a stir by claiming four titles and shooting a 59 on the Satellite EPD Tour, but few expected him to take to life on the Challenge Tour quite so readily.
After steady rather than spectacular opening rounds of 70 of 67, Kaymer revealed his prodigious talent with a stunning round of 63 on day three – when he covered 12 holes from the second to the 13th in ten under par – to take charge of the tournament.
Despite admitting to suffering some understandable nerves on the final day, Kaymer closed with a round of 70 to hold off a charging Alvaro Quiros and claim the €19,200 first prize, and with it a place in the history books as only the fifth professional player to win on their Challenge Tour debuts.
Most players might have basked in the glory of a victory in their homeland – but Kaymer is not most players.
Refusing to rest on his laurels, Kaymer embarked on a quite stunning run of form which saw him finish runner up at the Telia Challenge Waxholm behind Argentina’s Rafa Echenique, before capturing his second Challenge Tour title two weeks later at the Challenge de France.
A further three top ten finishes would swiftly follow, and after coming 13th in the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final – remarkably, that was his lowest finish in eight appearances on the 2006 Challenge Tour – he would end the season in fourth place in the Rankings to earn instant promotion to The European Tour.
The following year, Kaymer continued his stratospheric rise by recording five top ten finishes en route to becoming the first German to be named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.
A star had well and truly been born.
