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Kaymer 'very sad' for Johnson after PGA triumph

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Martin Kaymer wins the PGA Championship
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Martin Kaymer becomes second German after Bernhard Langer to win a major
  • Kaymer beat Bubba Watson of the United States in a playoff for the PGA Championship
  • Dustin Johnson missed out on the playoff after receiving a last-hole penalty

(CNN) -- Germany's Martin Kaymer had words of consolation for Dustin Johnson after sealing the PGA Championship with a playoff triumph against Bubba Watson.

Johnson looked set to join the pair in the playoff after the trio finished on 11-under 277 at Whistling Straits.

But Johnson was subsequently penalized two shots for grounding his club in what officials deemed to be a bunker on the 18th hole.

It left home hope Johnson distraught and Kaymer told CNN that both he and Watson believed he deserved to be joining them to battle it out over the extra holes.

"Obviously he didn't know he was not allowed to ground the club because he did not think it was a bunker.

"Both Bubba and I said that it was very sad to see because he played great golf and deserved to be in the playoff.

Johnson's much talked about second shot went wide of the green, but a brilliant recovery shot left him with a par putt on the 18th which, without the penalty, would have given him the title.

Kaymer said that in retrospect in was fortunate it failed to drop.

"You could only imagine if he made that putt on the 18th he would have thought he had won the PGA Championship."

Both Bubba and I said that it was very sad to see because he played great golf and deserved to be in the playoff
--Martin Kaymer
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With Johnson out of the running, it was left to Kaymer to play the steadier golf in the playoff.

They shared birdies on the opening two holes, but Watson found the water with his approach to the 18th and ran up a double bogey, leaving the phlegmatic Kaymer to play it safe to seal victory with a bogey.

He told CNN that his realistic aim before the final major of the season had been to seal a place in the European Ryder Cup team to play the United States at Celtic Manor in October.

"Of course I didn't want to put myself under pressure.

"For me the most important thing going into this week was to make sure I played in the Ryder Cup, that was my main goal.

"With the win I have achieved that aim but with a top five I would have made it," he added.

Kaymer is the second German after Bernhard Langer to win a golf major and he remins in awe of his compatriot's achievements.

"What he has achieved in his career is insane. He has just won two (senior) majors in a row !

"I have to win the Masters next year to do that."

But at just 25, Kaymer has many years ahead of him to match Langer's feats and establish himself as a golfing great.