Kaymer named Rookie of the Year

LONDON, England -- Martin Kaymer has become the first German winner of the Rookie of the Year award on golf's European Tour.

The 22-year-old from Dusseldorf is widely tipped for stardom and has enjoyed a superb 2007 with particularly strong performances in the latter part of the season.

Three weeks ago Kaymer equaled the lowest round of the season with a 12-under-par 60 in the Portugal Masters and only last Saturday shot the lowest round of the week with a five-under-par 66 in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

His best finish was runner-up to Finn Mikko Ilonen in the Scandinavian Masters. A birdie on the last would have given him the title, but he double-bogeyed.

Kaymer, who twice failed to make it through the Tour's qualifying school, joins some illustrious past winners of the award which is decided by a panel comprising the European Tour, the Royal and Ancient Club and the Association of Golf Writers.

His main rivals were Spain's Alvaro Quiros, who won the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa before missing a substantial part of the 2007 season due to injury, and Sweden's Alexander Noren.

"To be the first winner from my country is a very special honor," Kaymer said.

"Growing up I admired Bernhard Langer and Ernie Els, they were my role models and it was a special honor for me to play with Ernie in Munich. That was really cool." E-mail to a friend