European Tour Notebook: Kaymer eager to put his feet up, but not yet

CASTELLON, Spain (PA) -- Martin Kaymer is looking forward to some rest -- albeit only briefly -- after almost pulling off the unlikeliest win of his career Sunday.

The limping German, six shots behind with five holes to play at the Castello Masters, was beaten only when he missed a nine-foot birdie putt on the last green after Swede Michael Jonzon had holed from twice as far.

For Jonzon, the victory that totally transformed his season. For Kaymer, it was a performance that lifted him back above Rory McIlroy into second place on the "Race to Dubai" standings.

"Nineteen under was definitely way more than I was expecting," said the 24-year-old, who was playing his first event since the go-kart crash in August that left him needing surgery on broken toes.

Told he would not be back to full fitness for a year -- there are titanium plates and screws in his foot -- Kaymer is determined to play on through the pain. And it could be especially painful at this week's Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin near Marbella.

The two players making the final in the 16-man event will have to walk 36 holes on three of the four days and 18 on the other -- and that works out at almost 50 miles.

"I'll take it easy the next few days," said Kaymer.

BACK ON TOUR: The upcoming Australian Masters, which this year features Tiger Woods, will again be part of the European Tour.

Now called the JBWere Masters, the event has been co-sanctioned by the European circuit and the PGA Tour of Australasia for the fourth straight year. It'll be played Nov. 12-15 at Kingston Heath in Melbourne.

"It affords our members a final opportunity to secure a place among the top 60 players who will contest the Dubai World Championship the following week," said European Tour Chief Executive George O'Grady. "Additionally, the competition to claim a place in the top 115 and exempt status for 2010 is likely to be equally tightly fought."

HEAD EAST: Masters champion Angel Cabrera will compete in next week's HSBC Champions event in Shanghai and will therefore be eligible for the Dubai World Championship two weeks later.

After Cabrera missed his tee time and was disqualified from the Castello Masters in Spain last week -- he had been delayed en route from the PGA Grand Slam in Bermuda the previous day -- there was speculation he might not play the minimum 12 events required by the European Tour for entry into the season-ending championship.

But the Argentinian has told the Tour he will be flying on from this week's Volvo World Match Play to join the star-studded HSBC field headed by Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Although the Chinese event now has World Golf Championships status, a long list of players, mostly Americans, have turned down their places.

In addition to Fiji's Vijay Singh and South African Tim Clark, not making the trip are world No. 3 Steve Stricker and Ryder Cup players Jim Furyk, Kenny Perry, Zach Johnson and Scott Verplank, plus Dustin Johnson, Heath Slocum, Marc Leishman and Sunday's winner Troy Matteson.

Ian Poulter and Ernie Els were among those who could have missed out if everybody had decided to play, despite being ranked 21st and 22nd in the world, but there are now spots available for them.

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