<p>Three up after just five holes on a chilly day at Dove Mountain’s Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Donald held off a front-nine fightback by the German before sealing the win with a two-putt par at the short 16th. <br /><br />It was Donald’s third PGA Tour victory but his first in an elite World Golf Championships event and will lift him to a career-high third in the world rankings on Monday. <br /><br />Kaymer, who had been bidding for his second triumph on the US circuit, will take over from Britain’s Lee Westwood as world number one when the new rankings are issued. <br />“It has been an amazing week,” a beaming Donald told reporters after winning his first PGA Tour title since the 2006 Honda Classic. “It's been a long time since I’ve won in the US <br /><br />“To come here and beat the 63 top players is very gratifying. I had a lot of good things happen, made a bunch of birdies, never trailed in a match. <br /><br />“And hats off to Martin for becoming number one in the world,” the Englishman added after earning the winner’s cheque of $1.4 million. “It's quite an accomplishment.” <br />Although Kaymer delivered his worst display of the week with three bogeys and two birdies in the final, he paid tribute to Donald’s rock-steady form. <br /><br />“I was trying everything I could, I just didn’t play as good as I did in the last few days,” the 26-year-old German said. “And the way Luke plays, even a decent round isn’t enough.” <br /><br />On a day which began with almost an inch of snow blanketing Dove Mountain before it thawed out under morning sunshine, Kaymer briefly savoured his imminent rise to world number one. <br /><br />“I was very relaxed this morning, saw the snow, was walking on my balcony and was enjoying the moment, knowing I will become the number one in the world tomorrow,” he said. <br /><br />For the first time in 19 years, Europeans will occupy the first four spots in the rankings with Kaymer, Westwood, Donald and Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell. Tiger Woods drops to fifth.</p>
<p>Three up after just five holes on a chilly day at Dove Mountain’s Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Donald held off a front-nine fightback by the German before sealing the win with a two-putt par at the short 16th. <br /><br />It was Donald’s third PGA Tour victory but his first in an elite World Golf Championships event and will lift him to a career-high third in the world rankings on Monday. <br /><br />Kaymer, who had been bidding for his second triumph on the US circuit, will take over from Britain’s Lee Westwood as world number one when the new rankings are issued. <br />“It has been an amazing week,” a beaming Donald told reporters after winning his first PGA Tour title since the 2006 Honda Classic. “It's been a long time since I’ve won in the US <br /><br />“To come here and beat the 63 top players is very gratifying. I had a lot of good things happen, made a bunch of birdies, never trailed in a match. <br /><br />“And hats off to Martin for becoming number one in the world,” the Englishman added after earning the winner’s cheque of $1.4 million. “It's quite an accomplishment.” <br />Although Kaymer delivered his worst display of the week with three bogeys and two birdies in the final, he paid tribute to Donald’s rock-steady form. <br /><br />“I was trying everything I could, I just didn’t play as good as I did in the last few days,” the 26-year-old German said. “And the way Luke plays, even a decent round isn’t enough.” <br /><br />On a day which began with almost an inch of snow blanketing Dove Mountain before it thawed out under morning sunshine, Kaymer briefly savoured his imminent rise to world number one. <br /><br />“I was very relaxed this morning, saw the snow, was walking on my balcony and was enjoying the moment, knowing I will become the number one in the world tomorrow,” he said. <br /><br />For the first time in 19 years, Europeans will occupy the first four spots in the rankings with Kaymer, Westwood, Donald and Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell. Tiger Woods drops to fifth.</p>
