PINEHURST, NC: The 2014 U.S. Open Ledes
/The next time a U.S. Open comes to Pinehurst there's a chance newspapers won't be around, but that does not forbid us from reveling in the art form that is the game story lede.
Since Martin Kaymer provided us with a win of historic proportions, it's fun to see what those writing on a deadline had to say.
Martin Kaymer returned to the elite in golf with a U.S. Open victory that ranks among the best.
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.
Bill Pennington, New York Times:
Martin Kaymer arrived at the first tee Sunday dressed appropriately for a methodical man with a modest, logical plan for the day.
Kaymer chose a white shirt, muted dark gray pants and plain, all-white shoes. It was an outfit that matched his golf bag, which was white and unadorned by a sponsor’s logo, making it a rare piece of unpretentious golf gear that endorsed only its owner.
But the stoic, steady and humble Kaymer used a different strategy to stand out.
Mark Lamport-Stokes of Reuters:
Martin Kaymer's astonishing dominance at the U.S. Open, on a challenging Pinehurst layout where only two other players finished under par, left his rivals purring in admiration.
More significantly, the German's eight-stroke victory at the year's second major has elevated him into elite company, and one can only wonder how much more the ultra-talented, hard-working Kaymer will achieve by the time his career is over.
Mark Cannizzarro, New York Post:
The calendar and scores in the morning paper will tell you the 114th US Open at Pinehurst was over late Sunday afternoon. Realistically, though, the tournament was over before the weekend began.
Barry Svrluga, Washington Post:
Blame Martin Kaymer for none of what played out over the past four days at Pinehurst No. 2, because he could only play the next round, the next hole, the next shot. In fact, he is due credit in abundance because whatever the pluses and minuses of Pinehurst’s new look and feel, Kaymer negotiated them far better than anyone else. That he made the U.S. Open a blowout is cause for celebration in his native Germany — and in golf in general — because he is a worthy player who now has his second major championship.
David Scott in the Charlotte Observer:
After Martin Kaymer rolled in a par putt on the 18th green Sunday on Pinehurst No. 2, he dropped his club to the ground, leaned back with his arms raised, a huge grin on his face.
One of the dominant performances in U.S. Open history was complete.
Tod Leonard in the San Diego Union Tribune:
Martin Kaymer had much more than just a brutal golf course and field of the world’s best players going against him on Sunday.
The karma, mojo, vibe – whatever you want to call it – could not have been much darker for the German who was producing one of the finest performances in U.S. Open history.
Hank Gola, New York Daily News:
Martin Kaymer had been at the top before, ranked No. 1 in the world at age 25. But now, after what he did to the field at the U.S. Open, there can be no doubt. The German technician, now 29, is one of the world’s greatest players.
It was one of the most dominant U.S. Open performances in history, starting with his back-to-back 65s Thursday and Friday. Only Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods had ever finished lower to par than Kaymer’s 9-under at the end of the week and his 271 total was second only to McIlroy.
Greatness may be impressive, but it isn’t always exciting. Martin Kaymer made that clear when he took the U.S. Open, supposedly the most difficult of golf tournaments, and turned it into a boring romp.
Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle:
There's a good reason Martin Kaymer's name seldom surfaces in conversations about the best twentysomething golfers. He's not remotely dynamic, for starters, and he hadn't contended in a major championship in nearly four years.
Kaymer, 29, did not suddenly become charismatic in the U.S. Open - his clinical march to victory barely caused a ripple among the galleries - but he lifted his career into a new realm.