PINEHURST, N.C. -- By getting the better of punishing Pinehurst No. 2 with an overpowering display of power, precision and putting, Martin Kaymer completed the parental double Sunday in winning the 114th U.S. Open.
Kaymer, who took a 5-shot lead into the final round and didn't let anyone get closer than four on a crispy course baked by sun-drenched skies, completed his wire-to-wire tour de force with a 1-under par-69 to finish at 9-under 271, winning by 8 shots.
With opening rounds of 65-65, Kaymer not only set the record for the lowest score shot in the tournament's history through the opening 36 holes, he demoralized the field and left spectators shaking their heads in wonderment watching Kaymer do what he did to one of the toughest courses in the world.
Rickie Fowler and two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton each shot 72 to finish in a tie for second and joined Kaymer as the only players to finish under par. By finishing in the top 4, Compton, playing in just his second major championship, earned a trip to the 2015 Masters.
"Overall it was a nice week and a very nice day," said Kaymer, who along with Bernhard Langer are the only Germans to win majors, as each now has two. "I played very well the first two days to give myself a cushion, then I held it together (Saturday) and that gave me a nice cushion for today."
A month ago Kaymer, 29, won The Players Championship on Mother's Day and talked glowingly of what his mother, Rina, who passed away in 2008 after complications from skin cancer, meant to him and how he misses her every day. On Sunday, he paid tribute to his father, Horst, on Father's Day.
"It was nice to win on Mother's Day, and our Father's Day was a couple weeks ago and I didn't get him anything," said Kaymer, who hugged his father just off the 18th green. He is the first player to win on both Mother's Day and Father's Day since Tom Kite in 1992. "Maybe this works for today."
Not much was working for Kaymer 24 months ago. After winning the 2010 PGA Championship and reaching No. 1 in 2011, Kaymer set forth on a devastating cycle when he tried to incorporate a draw into his game. When he failed to realize results, he lost confidence. When he lost confidence, he hit more poor shots, which led to more tinkering with this swing.
Finally, he cleared his mind of swing thoughts and just played the game. And his game returned, as he clinched victory for Europe in the 2012 Ryder Cup, won in South Africa and now has two wins in 2014.
And with his win Sunday, Kaymer joined an elite list that includes Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Lee Trevino and Raymond Floyd as the only players to win a PGA Championship, The Players and the U.S. Open. Kaymer also is the only player to win The Players and the U.S. Open in the same year.
"Finally, I think I swing it the way I want to," said Kaymer, who has a logo of a single sunflower, his mother's favorite, on his bag and nothing else to honor and remember her. "Not quite, but I'm getting very close. Obviously, the way I play golf right now, I shouldn't think too much about technique. I'm very happy the way I hit the ball. I can hit any shot whenever I need it. So it would only be distracting myself from focusing on the main thing if I would focus too much on the technique."
In a week he called special, Compton was a story himself with his remarkable run. He's playing the best golf of his career and sees good things ahead.
"No one was going to catch Kaymer this weekend," Compton said. "I've never gotten this far in my story. I was playing for second. I think we all were playing for second. But it's a career week for me. I proved to the world I'm not just the guy with two heart transplants.
" … It's a dream come true (to go to the Masters)."
Fowler is proving he's more than just an idol among teens worldwide and the poster boy for golf's next generation. As he continues to work with Butch Harmon on his revamped swing, which gives him more consistency and power, Fowler is showing up in contention more and more in the big events.
"I hung in there and stayed patient," said Fowler, who finished in a tie for fifth in the Masters. "I had a few shots get away from me, but Martin was playing in his own tournament. He was very impressive."
SUNDAY AT THE U.S. OPEN
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