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U.S. Open champion Kaymer misses cut on Germany return

Jun 15, 2014; Pinehurst, NC, USA; Martin Kaymer hits a fairway shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the 2014 U.S. Open golf tournament at Pinehurst Resort Country Club - #2 Course. Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

(Reuters) - Martin Kaymer missed the cut by four shots at the BMW International in his native Germany on Friday, his first competitive outing since winning the second major of his career at the U.S. Open two weeks ago.

The 2010 U.S. PGA champion, who launched his campaign at Gut Larchenhof near his home town of Duesseldorf with an opening one-under 71, mixed a double bogey with three dropped strokes and four birdies in a second-round 73.

Kaymer, who won the BMW International six years ago, finished 12 shots adrift of joint leaders Rafa Cabrera-Bello (68) and Pablo Larrazabal (63) of Spain, Briton Danny Willett (68) and Argentine Emiliano Grillo (66).

Sharing fifth place on 10-under 134, two behind the pace-making quartet, were Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, South African Branden Grace, Germany's Alex Cejka, Dane Andreas Harto, Robert Karlsson of Sweden and Briton Craig Lee.

Cabrera-Bello would have led on his own but for a rare double hit when he chipped out of the rough at the par-five seventh hole.

"It was a really nasty lie," he told European Tour radio. "I was trying to get it to bump out three or four metres short of the green and unluckily I hit it twice so I made a bogey instead of a par.

"I was aware of it immediately, I knew I had hit it twice. I told my playing partners and it was just bad luck - at least it happened in the second round and not the final round," said Cabrera-Bello.

The Spaniard has played in the same group as Willett for the first two days.

"Twelve-under is a good score," said the Englishman who claimed his only tour title when he won this event two years ago.

"Rafa and I have featured well the first two rounds...with two identical scores."


(Writing by Tony Jimenez, editing by Ed Osmond)