• World Match Play Championship

Kaymer outclassed by Donald in semi-final

Luke Donald made just one error against Martin Kaymer © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• Profile: Luke Donald | Martin Kaymer | Ian Poulter

Luke Donald moved to within one victory of becoming the new world No. 1 by demonstrating his clear superiority over Martin Kaymer in the Volvo Match Play Championship semi-finals on Sunday.

Following Lee Westwood's second-round exit from the competition, Donald and Kaymer both had the chance to usurp golf's leading player by reigning triumphant in Andalucia this week. In a titanic semi-final clash between the current No. 2 and No. 3, it was Donald who had all the answers.

Kaymer had spoken of how difficult his rival is to beat, citing Donald's consistency in avoiding errors, but the German could not follow suit. In the end, the back nine was something of a cruise for Donald, who won by a 5&3 victory margin.

Kaymer blinked first when bogeying the second hole, and things got much worse when he found sand at the par-three 10th, missing the green with his recovery shot to card a double-bogey. Only once did Donald err, requiring five shots at the seventh to allow Kaymer his only hole.

Things could have been worse for Kaymer who rescued par when he found water on the 13th, but he can have no complaints that it is the year's in-form player Donald who will challenge for Westwood's throne.

Blocking Donald's path will be miracle man Ian Poulter, who finally ended Nicolas Colsaerts' excellent campaign. Poulter pulled out a stunning turnaround against Francesco Molinari just to reach the last four, and he repeated the feat to force sudden death on Sunday.

Colsaerts assumed the lead in regulation play when he chipped in at the second, and by the end of the seventh he was three up thanks to his outstanding length off the tee. Colsaerts was actually too long at the eighth, allowing Poulter to cut the deficit to two, but that lead stayed heading into the 15th.

Poulter has been the miracle man this week though, winning the final four holes to turn his match with Molinari on its head, and he strung together back-to-holes holes against Colsaerts to force an extra hole, which he won when the Belgian missed his putt.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.