LUKE DONALD beats MARTIN KAYMER 3 and 2 in ARIZONA FINAL

Luke Donald never behind in beating Martin Kaymer in Accenture Match-play Final (Image by courtesy of Tom Ward Photography).

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
with additional words by Colin Farquharson
Luke Campbell Donald turned in another flawless display to beat Martin Kaymer 3 and 2 in the final of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain, Marana in the Arizona Desert today.
Donald was never in arrears from the beginning to the end of the tournament but had to resist a mid-final rally by his 26-year-old opponent from Dusseldorf who became the new World No 1 at the conclusion of Saturday's quarter and semi-finals.
Donald, a 33 year old Englishman from Hemel Hempstead, but long-time resident in the States, close to Northwestern University, Chicago, where he spent four successful years on the US college circuit, becomes the new World No 3 in an all-European top four. It was his first win on the US Tour for five years.
Kaymer clawed his way back from three down to be all square with  Donald at the halfway point of the final. But the Englishman reasserted his superiority and took a two-hole lead with six to play in the 18-hole final.
That position improved in Donald's favour to three up on the 16th tee.

In a match suspended briefly on the fourth because of a hailstorm - there had been snow during the night - Donald won three of the first five holes.
But his Ryder Cup team-mate, whose semi-final victory over Bubba Watson meant Kaymer dethroned Lee Westwood at the top of the Official World Golf Ranking, took the short sixth with a par, the long eighth with a birdie and then the ninth with a bogey after Donald came up short in the desert scrub and ran up a triple-bogey 7.
Donald had still not been behind all week, though, as he chased a first victory in America for five years.
An 18 footer for birdie at the second had put him in front and he hit his approach to within three feet of the flag on the fourth when play resumed after a ten-minute hold-up.
His German opponent then drove into the wilderness on the next and had to take a penalty drop.
Donald never played the 18th hole all week. In his Saturday quarter and semi-finals successes he had seen off Americans Ryan Moore 5 and 4 and then Matt Kuchar 6 and 5.
To reach the final, Donald had played 73 holes to Kaymer's 85, but it was less of a factor with the final being cut from two rounds to one this year.
Victory for Donald took him all the way from ninth in the world to third behind Kaymer and Westwood.
Kaymer had been trying to make it five wins in his last 11 starts, a run that began with his first Major title at the US PGA Championship last August.
In the all-American third place play-off, meanwhile, Kuchar led Bubba Watson by two with eight to play - after double-bogeys for both of them on the tenth in the cold and windy conditions.

That tie finished with Kuchar the winner by 3 and 2.
Donald did well to save a half at the tenth after finding more trouble and Kaymer was favourite to take the 11th as well, but missed from six feet after his opponent had holed from nine.
One down again as a result, the 26 year old - second youngest holder of the World No 1 position after Tiger Woods - strayed into sand on the 219 yard next and by bogeying fell two down with six to go.
Defeat was staring Kaymer in the face when he fell three down with three to play. A half at the 16th was enough to give Luke the biggest win of his career.

It earned him $1,400,000 and was his third in America although his first since the 2006 Honda Classic.
Kaymer earned $850,000.
"I played solidly all week and it's nice to have kept it up right through to the end of the final," said Donald.
"I just didn't play as well in the final as I had in the earlier rounds," said Kaymer, "but Luke is a great match-player."
RESULTS 

CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL (18 holes)
Lee Donald (England) bt Martin Kaymer (Germany) 3 and 2.
3RD PLACE PLAY-OFF
Matt Kuchar (US) bt Bubba Watson (US) 2 and 1.