USPGA title winner Martin Kaymer has extended his lead at the summit of the Race to Dubai standings after winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The 25-year-old, who is now ranked fourth in the world, secured a three-shot win over England’s Danny Willett at St Andrews after shooting a majestic 40-foot putt on the 17th to move him clear of his rival.
John Parry, who led by two shots going into the fourth day, saw his challenge evaporate with a disappointing 72, allowing the German to capitalise with a 17-under-par aggregate score.
Kaymer scooped the £502,512 top prize and, in doing so, he has now moved £860,000 ahead of Graeme McDowell in the European money list.
Speaking after his stunning putt on the penultimate hole, he said: “To make a four at the 17th feels like a birdie, so I don’t know how I managed a three. I just tried to focus on the putt.”
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Meanwhile, tennis number one Rafael Nadal ended his seventh title of the year by seeing off Gael Monfils in the final of the Japan Open in Tokyo on Sunday.
The Spanish sensation comfortably dismantled his French counterpart with a fine 6-1 7-5 success. Monfils failed to make any telling impact in the Far East and the left-hander took full advantage.
“I want to finish the season well and winning titles is a perfect way to finish,” he said.
“It’s difficult to keep winning. I have to enjoy these moments because you never know when they will end. I’m going to try to keep it going in Shanghai (next week) and the rest of the season and in London (ATP Tour Finals) – the most difficult tournament for me.
“Gael is a great player. He beat me in 2009 and we had a tough match at the U.S. Open the same year. But I played really well today.”
Monfils added: “I think Rafa likes my type of game and I didn’t find a solution to give him any trouble. Rafa is so tough to play against.”
Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel has aided his outside chances of grabbing the Formula One World Championship by clinching victory at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka on Sunday.
The German, who started on pole position, has moved into joint-second place with Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso after his third triumph of the campaign.
Team-mate and championship leader Mark Webber remains the online betting favourite and came home in second to extend his lead at the top of the tree by 14 points.
Alonso made up the podium slots, but British and McLaren pair Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton saw their challenge take a battering with fourth and fifth place finishes respectively.
Seven-time champion Michael Schumacher finished sixth ahead of Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi and Nick Heidfeld.
Vettel controlled proceedings from start to finish, replicating his fortunes of 12 months ago in the Far East.
He, alongside Webber, opened up a comfortable lead on Alonso to forge ahead as the race gathered momentum.
In turn, the Spaniard increased his distance between the McLaren duo to keep his hopes of a third title alive and, with just three events and 75 points left to fight for, this term’s battle looks set to go down to the wire.
