DUBAI // All the planned and fateful pairings of recent seasons failed to mingle the entrenched bright light of Tiger Woods with the newfound glow of Martin Kaymer, until the Dubai Desert Classic finagled the trick yesterday.
The 35-year-old winner of 14 major tournaments learned that television had been inadequate for appreciating Kaymer, and the 24-year-old winner of the most recent major tournament wound up wearing out the word "nice".
"Very impressed," Woods said of Kaymer, the reigning European Tour champion. "You can see why he's won as many tournaments. You know, he's very steady. Keeps his emotions in check.
"I was kind of impressed at how far he hits it. Television doesn't really do justice sometimes. But he can move it out there."
And while the world Nos 1-2-3 grouping often saw the younger Kaymer standing aside while old coots Woods and Lee Westwood bantered, Kaymer did devour some insights.
"It was very nice," he said. "I never played with Tiger before, and it was nice. He was very nice to me.
"It's interesting. He didn't play very good golf today. He missed a lot of shots, but he always managed to hang in there."
Of such resolve, Kaymer said, "That's why he's always up there."