German golfer and former world number one Martin Kaymer went through an astonishing collapse on the final day of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, as world number 357 Gary Stal went on to grab his first European Tour title.
US Open champion Kaymer began six shots ahead and that soon extended to 10, but the after 47 holes without a dropped shot, the German's lead went by the 13th with a bogey, followed by double and triple bogeys.
Kaymer shot 75 and was third as Frenchman Stal carded a 65 to reach 19 under and win by one, with Rory McIlroy second after a 66, the BBC reported.
Stal, who tied for fifth at last week's South African Open, was eight shots behind going into the final round, but birdied six of his first 11 holes.
Stal said that when he saw his name on the leaderboard he thought it was possible.
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An emotional Stal revealed that his thoughts after winning turned to his late mother Christine, who died last May while he was playing the BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth. He said that he thought about all the people that were looking at him, he thought about his mother and thought about her a lot.
Two-time major winner Kaymer, who won the US Open by eight shots at Pinehurst last year, had seemed certain to record his fourth Abu Dhabi title after adding three birdies in his first four holes, but he failed to build on it and went on to finish third.
Kaymer said that he is surprised and a little shocked, adding that he doesn't really know how to put it into words. He claimed that he didn't hit many fairways, that was the problem, and he didn't make many putts either.
McIlroy, who took 34 putts in round three and began the final day eight behind Kaymer, revived his hopes with three consecutive birdies from the eighth and added more at the 13th and 15th.
In a greenside bunker at the last the Northern Irishman needed to hole for an eagle to reach 19 under, but his delicate escape shaved the cup and stayed up, resulting in his fourth runner-up finish at the event.
The world number one said that once he started getting his caddie to read his putts it was a lot better, adding that it was nice to finally get it going but admitted that that little stretch on Saturday and early on Sunday cost him the tournament.
