Martin Kaymer Wins in Abu Dhabi: Here We Go Again

We’re only a few weeks into the 2011 golf season, yet it feels like the 2010 season never ended.

The Europeans continue to dominate big-time events, Phil Mickelson is still trying to find his game, PGA Tour events still seem to be lost more often than they are won and Tiger Woods continues his free fall down the World Golf Rankings.

Lee Westwood may be hanging on to his No. 1 ranking, but it’s quite obvious who the best player in the world has been over the past six months—Martin Kaymer.

Since August of 2010, Kaymer has won four of eight events, including the PGA Championship.  Kaymer also won the 2010 Race to Dubai, which is more or less the European Tour’s version of the FedEx Cup.

Kaymer’s eight-stroke victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship last Sunday against a very strong field demonstrated a degree of dominance not seen in professional golf since the days of a physically and mentally healthy Woods.

Kaymer made one bogey in 72 holes, hit all but one green in regulation on Sunday and averaged only 27.5 putts per round. The 26-year-old German looked more like Ben Hogan with a strong putter out in the Abu Dhabi desert last week than a young, up-and-coming star.

Kaymer’s latest victory at the Abu Dhabi Championship jumped him to No. 2 in the World Golf Rankings, while a fella formerly known as Eldrick dropped back to No. 3.

Could it wind up that guys like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and others will be stricken with the unfortunate luck of having to play during the Martin Kaymer era, similar to how guys like Mickelson, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and others had the unfortunate luck of trying to win major championships during the Tiger Woods era?

Only time will tell, but Kaymer not only has the ability to fill a warehouse full of trophies, he also has the steely demeanor required to sink those must-make six-footers on Sunday afternoon with a major championship on the line.

Woods and Mickelson will both tee it up this week at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

For Woods, it will be his first return to Torrey Pines since his epic 2008 U.S. Open victory over Rocco Mediate in a Monday playoff, which also happens to be Woods’ last major championship victory.

Woods may come back strong in 2011. He may break Jack Nicklaus record of 18 majors, and he’ll likely surpass Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA Tour wins.

However, we are unlikely to ever see the same Woods that completely dominated the game of golf for 13 of the past 14 years.

History has shown us that, for the most part, each generation of professional golf has one undisputed top dog.

Woods has had his reign as top dog, and whether his reign officially ends now or five years from now, it will eventually come to an end sometime sooner rather than later.

And maybe, just maybe, we are currently witnessing the rise of golf’s next alpha dog in Martin Kaymer.