Kaymer secures Nedbank victory

Sun City, South Africa – Martin Kaymer carded a 3-under 69 on Sunday to lock up a 2-stroke victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Kaymer, the overnight leader, ended with an 8-under 280 and picked up his first win of 2012 at this unofficial event.

"I'm just very happy to finally win this year," said Kaymer. "That was the important thing for me, because I've practiced very hard and played very well the last few weeks and months but it just hasn't happened for me on the golf course. I said to my caddie that we have to win one tournament every year and this was our last chance. Fortunately, we could bring it home."

South African Charl Schwartzel also shot 69 at Gary Player Country Club on Sunday. He ended alone in second place at 6-under 282.

Bill Haas (71) took third at 3-under, while Louis Oosthuizen placed fourth at minus-2.

Oosthuizen began the day one stroke off Kaymer's pace before stumbling to a 74.

Defending champion Lee Westwood (73) finished in fifth place at 1-under, Paul Lawrie (74) took sixth at 1-over and Francesco Molinari (69) and Carl Pettersson (69) tied for seventh at 2-over.

Peter Hanson (73) ended in ninth at 3-over, Nicolas Colsaerts (71) placed 10th at 5-over, world No. 4 Justin Rose (74) took 11th at 7-over and Garth Mulroy (74) rounded out the 12-player field at plus-9.

Kaymer began his day with a par and then carded an eagle on the par-5 second, but he quickly negated the fast start with a double-bogey on the par-4 third.

"The eagle at the second hole was a bonus -- two great shots and a nice putt," said Kaymer. "The third obviously wasn't so good as I hit a bad tee shot and got into trouble."

Schwartzel, Oosthuizen and Haas took advantage of that stumble, joining the German atop the leaderboard in the early going.

Kaymer recovered with a birdie on No. 9 and then opened his outward stretch in fine form by turning the trick again on Nos. 10 and 11.

Schwartzel remained within striking distance with birdies on the 10th and the 14th, and when Kaymer stumbled to a bogey on No. 15, the South African was just one stroke back.

He would get no closer, however, as an errant second shot on the par-4 17th led to a bogey, while Kaymer closed with a trio of pars to lock up the 2- stroke victory.

NOTES: Only seven of the 12 players in the field had competed in this event before ... Kaymer's countryman, Bernhard Langer, also tasted victory at Nedbank when he won the eight-player Champions Challenge on Saturday. Langer shot a final-round 74 and claimed the title by two strokes over Jay Haas.