US Open champion Martin Kaymer has won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in a playoff over Masters champion Bubba Watson after a wild day in Bermuda.
Kaymer twice lost a three-shot lead in the final round on Wednesday of the 36-hole exhibition for the year’s major champions.
Watson took a two-shot lead on the par-3 16th when he made birdie and Kaymer made bogey. Kaymer answered with a two-shot swing with a birdie on the par-5 17th as Watson took bogey.
Both made par on the 18th.
Kaymer had a 71 and Watson a 69. Kaymer made birdie on the first playoff hole to win.
British Open and PGA champion Rory McIlroy closed with a 75 to finish eight shots behind. Jim Furyk, the alternate, shot 73 and finished last.
The event is restricted to the four winners of the year’s US majors.
Elsewhere in the world of champions, two-time major champion Australia’s David Graham will be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015.
Often overlooked for golfers with lesser resumes despite being just the second Australian to win multiple majors and the only Australian to win two different major championships, Graham has been picked after the hall of fame criteria was altered significantly and will be inducted on the Monday of the 144th British Open Championship at St Andrews next July.
“Clearly, to be accepted into the World Golf Hall of Fame as a player is the icing on the cake on what has been a nice career,” Graham said.
“It’s been a long time but like they say good things are worth waiting for. I am ecstatic, I am honoured and I am very humbled and going to St Andrews would be the most special place you could have an induction.”
The now 68-year-old won the 1979 US PGA Championship and was the first Australian to win the US Open with his 1981 triumph at Merion Golf Club.
Graham won eight US PGA Tour events in all, won twice on the European Tour and eight times in Australia including the 1977 Australian Open.
Graham also won the World Cup for Australia, teamed with Bruce Devlin, in 1970 and won five times in the late 90s on the US Senior Tour.
He joins Hale Irwin, Bernhard Langer and Gary Player as the only players to win events on six different continents.
The initial major championship win at Oakland Hills came after he trailed by four shots into the final round but led by two on the 18th tee.
A double bogey sent him into a playoff with American Ben Crenshaw but Graham holed long putts to stay alive on the first two extra holes before prevailing in a third.
At Merion he once again faced a deficit heading into the final round, but overcame the three shots with ease after a sublime 67, hitting every green in regulation on the way to a three shot win.
Englishwoman Laura Davies, American Mark O’Meara and A.W. Tillinghast (course designer) were also chosen in the class of 2015.
It is the first class to be elected by the new hall of fame’s selection commission, which debated a group of 16 finalists, ridding a voting system that was skewed towards popularity rather than achievement, The four members of the class of 2015 each passed the required 75 per cent voting threshold, approval by at least 12 of the 16 members.
The selection commission was co-chaired by hall of fame members Nancy Lopez, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Annika Sorenstam.
