20110227
Swede played big part in German’s road to top spot
Last updated: 27th February 2011 
In the end of the day I found the solutions by myself, but only through talking to her and the experiences she had and the right questions she asked me made me into the golf player I am today
. Martin Kaymer
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WGC-Accenture Match Play Final
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Golf’s new world number one Martin Kaymer paid tribute to Fanny Sunesson as he prepares to take on Luke Donald in the final of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
The German made certain of dethroning Lee Westwood with his semi-final victory over American Bubba Watson and was quick to pay tribute to the Swedish caddie.
“Fanny and me, we know each other seven or eight years now,” said the 26-year-old, the second-youngest holder of the top spot after Tiger Woods.
“She was helping us out in the national team when I was an amateur. She was talking about course management and strategy and some experiences that she had with Nick Faldo and I found it very interesting.
“When I played the qualifying school, I could always call her and then we talked about a few suggestions for the golf course, how I felt about certain golf shots.
“Then, since 2008 when I won my first tournament, we were talking about why I won, why I screw up some tournaments, just to find solutions for things.
“In the end of the day I found the solutions by myself, but only through talking to her and the experiences she had and the right questions she asked me made me into the golf player I am today.”
Sunesson now works for fellow Swede Henrik Stenson and despite his first- round loss to Westwood last Wednesday, she stayed on to watch Kaymer’s progress through the tournament.
The USPGA champion becomes the second German world No.1. Bernhard Langer was there for the first three weeks of the rankings in 1986.
Top three
Europe now has the top three in the rankings for the first time since 1992, but the final at Dove Mountain will also decide whether it is Donald or US Open champion Graeme McDowell in third place.
Donald began the week down at ninth, but with Woods and Steve Stricker going out in the first round and then Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey and Rory McIlroy the following day, the chance was there to move to a career-high position.
He seized it with a 5&4 quarter-final win over Ryan Moore and then thrashed Moore’s fellow American Matt Kuchar 6&5.
Donald had to play just 27 holes on Saturday compared to Kaymer’s 36 – the German was also taken the distance by Ryder Cup team-mate Miguel Angel Jimenez – but that should not be a major factor with the final being reduced this year from 36 holes to 18.
Kaymer commented: “Luke is probably one of the best match play players in the world, we get along well but because it’s a final it will add more pressure.”
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