Kaymer can't cut it

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Martin Kaymer missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Friday, a year after he won the title by eight strokes.

The three-time Abu Dhabi champion shot a 1-over 73 to leave him 6 over for the tournament. European Tour officials said he will not be playing into the weekend.

Kaymer, who had come in as a favourite considering his past success on the course, blamed his putting for his troubles, adding that he "didn't have a lot of birdie chances" on Friday. He said he was hoping to score well but shrugged off his troubles as "a little bit of a rough period for me these last couple of days."

"Expectations were very high," the German said. "When you go to a tournament where you've played very well in the past, you expect your going to be successful somehow and it hasn't happened this week. It's OK. I practiced hard in the winter and it will come together at some stage."

Kaymer appeared to be rebounding from his opening 5-over 77 when he had two birdies on his first nine holes. But after the turn, he had a bogey and a double-bogey over the next three holes to seal his fate.

Kaymer last missed a cut at the KLM Open in November.

Until this year, Kaymer has treated the Abu Dhabi course as his home-away-from home, winning the last two tournaments at the National Club at the Abu Dhabi Golf Course, finishing second in 2009 and winning in 2008.