Martin Kaymer throws away 10-shot lead to let in unknown Stal

Kaymer didn’t even finish second. His 75, by eight shots his worst round of the week, was sufficient only for third

Martin Kaymer said that he was ‘surprised and a little shocked’ (Getty) (Getty)

Let’s start with the positives. At least Martin Kaymer took defeat like a champion after a choke as monumental as any of his three victories around Abu Dhabi.

With 14 holes of the HSBC Champions to play, Kaymer led the tournament by a colossal 10 strokes, two country miles in golfing terms. Three birdies in the opening four holes helped extend a six-shot overnight lead to one measuring double figures.

It was, reflected the BBC’s golf correspondent, a game of Kaymer versus Kaymer. A nice line that turned out to be the case, if not in the manner he or his audience imagined.

A bogey at the sixth was followed by a double at the ninth and a treble at the 13th, six shots gone at three holes. Meanwhile, a 22-year-old Frenchman ranked 357th and yet to win a tournament was eating up the course at the same rate, effecting a 12-shot swing and taking Gary Stal into a lead he would not relinquish.

In the end Kaymer didn’t even finish second. His 75, by eight shots his worst round of the week, was sufficient only for third, one behind Rory McIlroy and two behind Stal.

“I’m surprised and a little shocked. I don’t really know how to put it into words,” Kaymer said, meeting the obligation to account for his collapse when others in his situation might have escaped.

“It was very, very surprising. I started off well but then I hit a couple of bad tee shots and it cost me a double bogey and a triple bogey. I do miss fairways, but usually you get away with it, you don’t make double or triple bogey. But that is what happened today.

“Another thing was I didn’t make many putts. I missed a lot of putts and therefore it was very difficult for me to make birdies.”

Stal was in tears walking off the 18th green. A posse of French golfers gathered to acclaim him as Kaymer played his third to the 18th. Technically Kaymer still had a chance to force a play-off, but that would have been too much for any to bear.

Stal, who lost his mother last year during the PGA Championship at Wentworth, dedicated his victory to her memory. “My dad and my mother, they made it possible to be a good golfer, and I just apply myself to my sport every day.

“I thought about all the people that were looking at me. I thought about my mother, Christine, who died in May. She passed away while I was playing, and I thought about her a lot, obviously. When I saw my name on the leaderboard, I started thinking, ‘well, don’t get excited’, but I’m very happy obviously. It’s an incredible feeling.”

McIlroy, who finished with a 66, rued his failure with the putter on Saturday after falling short by a single stroke for the third time in four visits.

“It was nice to finally get it going, but just that little stretch yesterday and then early on today sort of cost me the tournament,” McIlroy said.