Perhaps the only man happier to see Martin Kaymer win the Abu Dhabi Championship than the German himself was Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.
The talented German was only 16th in the Ryder Cup standings going into the weekend's play, but his second victory in the UAE capital within the space of three years, will vault him into the automatic placings - and few will now back him being budged from there.
Certainly Monty (wha, wha, I wanted four picks, I wanted four), will be glad that he won't have to burn one of his three captain's picks on the German.
The 25-year-old has looked the real deal since he entered the European Tour just three seasons ago.
He won Rookie of the Year back in 2007, and while that is no guarantee of future success (just ask Scott Drummond), he continues to thrive with five Tour victories to his name.
After just missing out on the 2008 Ryder Cup team, Nick Faldo brought Kaymer along to Valhalla as an observer, and while the Dusseldorf native might not have made it on to Sir Nick's final sandwich list, the experience could prove invaluable.
"My main goal is to play the Ryder Cup this year because when I went there two years ago I really felt I want to be there one day because it is so cool," Kaymer said after his success in Abu Dhabi.
"Even though I wasn't playing, it gave me so much experience and it helped me so much."
Such is Kaymer's standing in the game at the moment, that when the world rankings are published on Tuesday, he will be at a career high sixth.
Sure he could probably smash into a dozen fire hydrants and few outside the golfing world would take notice, but in a Ryder Cup year, a ruthlessly efficient German is just what the European doctor ordered.
+++
We would like to comment on the Bob Hope Classic this weekend but unfortunately it hasn't finished yet. We at Bunker Mentality are far from impressed (see our nonsense of the week). Nevertheless, it does give us space to publish five of our favourite Bob Hope quips about the game we all love.
"I've been playing the game so long that my handicap is in Roman numerals."
"Titleist has offered me a big contract not to play its balls."
"Golf is a hard game to figure. One day you will go out and slice it and shank it, hit into all the traps and miss every green. The next day you go out and, for no reason at all, you really stink."
"If you think golf is relaxing, you're not playing it right."
"I get upset over a bad shot just like anyone else. But it's silly to let the game get to you. When I miss a shot I just think what a beautiful day it is. And what pure fresh air I'm breathing. Then I take a deep breath. I have to do that. That's what gives me the strength to break the club."
+++
Nonsense of the week: Five rounds? Four courses? Celebrity players? A "Classic Ambassador"? 12 of the last 13 winners finishing on 25-under or better? Please! We don't care too much for the Bob Hope Classic here at Bunker Mentality and the fact that it has been weather delayed to a sixth day, despite taking place IN A DESERT, leads us to believe that the golfing gods are no big fans either.
Stat of the week: Rory McIlroy's third place in Abu Dhabi means he has eight top-10 finishes in his last nine events. Amazingly though, he will drop OUT of the world's top 10 when the rankings are published on Tuesday. That's because Ian Poulter's second place finish will see him move into the top 10 for the first time.
Shot of the week: South African Josh Cunliffe booked a ticket for the Open by rolling in a 20-foot eagle putt in a play-off at International Final Qualifying (Africa) at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Club last Friday. Nice way to seal a place at St. Andrews', eh?
Quote of the week: "He has been one of the greatest ambassadors for golf, not only in the US but worldwide. He understood the true value of internationalism. We are a global society, and he continued to play around the world and promote the game of golf. While doing that, he has been a family man and he's got a wonderful wife in Barbara. He has been the epitome of golf's necessity." - Gary Player with a lovely tribute to Jack Nicklaus as the Golden Bear turned 70th. Scary thing is though, you could have just changed the word "Barbara" to "Erin" and uttered the same quote about Tiger Woods six months ago.
However, we're confident here at Bunker that a bevy of trashy "beauties" won't come out of the woodwork and spoil Jack's great image, even if he was quite a looker in his day. Bunker can even remember Marge Simpson once fantasising about Nicklaus back when the Simpsons was good (in other words, from an episode that is at least 15 years old).
Surprise of the week: We have gone an entire weekend without a Tiger Woods-led story appearing on this website (quick press publish, press publish before this comment is outdated!!)
