JOSH BALL
Associated Press
SOUTHAMPTON, Bermuda (AP) — U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer seized control with a tap-in birdie followed by an eagle on his way to a 6-under 65 and a two-shot lead over Bubba Watson in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf on Tuesday.
British Open and PGA champion Rory McIlroy fell back after a strong start and had a 69. Jim Furyk, the alternate in the 36-hole exhibition for the year’s four major champions, was seven shots behind after a 73.
Kaymer was about as flawless as when he won at Pinehurst No. 2 in the summer. His lone mistake was a three-putt bogey on the par-3 13th, though that hardly got in the way of his five birdies and an eagle.
The final round is Wednesday at Port Royal.
“It’s just important that you don’t relax, that you try to keep going, because I have to play against players that are not playing on the Challenge Tour,” Kaymer said, referring to Europe’s developmental circuit.
Kaymer is No. 12 in the world, the lowest-ranked player in the field of major champions.
He built a quick lead with birdies on the opening two holes, and his round picked up momentum with two shots on the sixth and seventh holes. His wedge from 120 yards on No. 6 stopped 2 inches from the hole. Kaymer followed with an 8-iron from 186 yards to 6 feet for an eagle.
“Once I hit it, it felt really good,” he said of the shot at No. 6. “I just didn’t think it was long enough. And it wasn’t — it was 2 inches short.”
Kaymer missed only two greens in regulation, and he drove the green on the dogleg left, 355-yard 10th hole for a two-putt birdie.
Watson was one shot behind when everyone except Kaymer made bogey on the par-3 16th.
McIlroy was 3 under through seven holes and doing his best to stay with Kaymer until a pair of three-putt bogeys approaching the turn.
“I started pretty well, and then the two bogeys on 8 and 9 sort of took the wind out of my sails a little bit,” McIlroy said. “And I just found it hard to get going after that.”
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