PGA Grand Slam of Golf 2014: Daily Leaderboard Analysis, Highlights and More

Only four golfers took the course for the Grand Slam of Golf, but there was an intense battle between two of the top golfers in a playoff. In a field that included three 2014 major winners in Bermuda, Martin Kaymer emerged to claim his first win in the notable tournament.

Meanwhile, Bubba Watson was the closest contender, but was unable to hold onto a lead in the final round. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy was stifled by the course and fell behind on the second day. 

Jim Furyk struggled both days to finish last in the loaded field. The 44-year-old has finished at the top twice, with the most recent coming in 2008 after not winning a major throughout the season.

A share of the $1.35 million purse was up for grabs, so it's not just about playing on the beautiful Port Royal Golf Course. With Kaymer now walking away with the title, here's a look at the leaderboard and recap from each day.

Day 2

Kaymer's ability to play under intense pressure propelled him to a U.S. Open win earlier this year. That same scrutiny wasn't found in luxurious Bermuda, but he showed the same skill on Wednesday to secure the Grand Slam of Golf.

Even with a hard-charging Watson on his tail, Kaymer recovered from four bogies with four birdies and a win in the playoff. The Grand Slam of Golf's official Twitter account made it simple on the final shot in the one-hole playoff:

In order to push it to extra golf, Kaymer had to birdie on the 17th and a difficult par on the final hole. The back nine wasn't pretty for Kaymer with three bogies, but he was once again cool under pressure to close out Watson.

The two-time Masters winner did enough to close late with three straight birdies from No. 14 through 16. Here's a look at two of the biggest shots to help him close the window on Kaymer and even take a two-stroke lead at one point, per PGA.com:

But it wasn't enough as Watson missed his drive on the 17th, landing in the water and leaving the two golfers tied yet again. On the first hole in the playoff, Kaymer finished it with one smooth shot.

Both McIlroy and Furyk struggled mightily on the back nine, with both finishing above par.

The No. 1 player had three bogies and a double bogey from No. 10 through 15 before finally capturing another birdie on the 16th. That culminated in a four-over 75 as McIlroy finished just one shot ahead of Furyk and well outside of the hunt.

Furyk also had his own double bogey on the 16th, which culminated in a worse day than the opening round. Neither golfer looked as sharp as their opponents on Wednesday, but both should be set for another strong PGA Tour run during a long season.

Day 1

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Unlike most tournaments, the Grand Slam of Golf is just two rounds. That puts a lot of importance on the first day, which is where Kaymer excelled Tuesday.

The German jumped out to an early lead and finished with a six-under 65 to hold a two-stroke lead over Watson after the first day. Prior to the tournament, Kaymer discussed the difficulty of playing in Bermuda, per Josh Ball of PGA.com:

"

There are a couple very difficult holes where you can really screw up, where you can make big numbers. The wind, we all know, is going to be a factor. ...

I think when you play on that grass, that Bermuda grass, it's very important to hit good tee shots. It's very difficult to judge distances from the first cut, from the rough.

"

Kaymer seemed to have no such issues Tuesday in search of his first Grand Slam of Golf victory. His consistent approach on the course made him a force, but even the difficult shots looked easy for the U.S. Open winner.

PGA.com's official account provides a look at one of those shots on the sixth hole:

Watson was able to make a late charge with a birdie on the 14th hole to shorten the lead, but it was Kaymer who paced the field midway through. While Kaymer and Watson got off to hot starts, the pair of McIlroy and Furyk fell behind both opponents.

Furyk's experience in the event certainly didn't appear to help him, as he was the only golfer to finish above par on the day. The veteran started well by getting a birdie on the fifth but fell off late to finish with a one-over 72.

But Furyk is still a wizard with a club in his hands at times, as he showed on the 16th hole, via PGA.com:

McIlroy certainly didn't struggle by any means, but he is still well behind Kaymer with just one round remaining. Even opening with a two-under 69 on Tuesday wasn't enough for the Northern Irish golfer to sit atop the leaderboard.

The four-time major winner discussed his opening round and conditions in Bermuda, via PGA.com:

Just one day remains in the illustrious tournament, so the heat is turned up in Bermuda for Wednesday. McIlroy and Furyk may have slid down the leaderboard for now, but both can put together a strong round like Kaymer on Wednesday. Neither is too far behind.

There is no shortage of big names on the course, so any player can still take the crown. One strong round for Kaymer might be enough, but there's no doubt every man in the field knows something about closing strong.

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