Luke Donald stormed into the final of the Volvo World Match Play in Spain with a 5&3 demolition of Martin Kaymer.
Donald beats Kaymer in emphatic fashion to make Match Play final
Luke Donald stormed into the final of the Volvo World Match Play in Spain with a 5&3 demolition of Martin Kaymer, and he faces Ian Poulter in the final with the chance of becoming the new world number one.
Donald destroyed German star Kaymer before Poulter produced another stirring comeback to beat Nicolas Colsaerts on the first extra hole.
Donald can usurp fellow Englishman Lee Westwood at the top of the world rankings with victory in Finca Cortesin, and he is now just one 18-hole match away from grabbing top spot.
The current world number two defeated world number three Kaymer with ease to repeat his victory in the final of the WGC Match Play event in Arizona in February.
Englishman Donald started the semi-final brightly with three birdies in four holes, and he won the 2nd, 3rd and 4th to go three-up and leave Kaymer reeling.
Double
However, a double-bogey seven at the par-five 5th from Donald handed a hole back to the German, but a birdie at the 8th ensured he had a three-up lead at the turn.
The lead became four when Kaymer found the bunker on the 10th hole and was unable to keep his shot on the putting surface, and he was unable to then grab anything back on the ultra-consistent Donald.
Donald finished in style with a cracking iron shot to the 15th green piling the pressure on and Kaymer was unable to hole out from the bunker and was forced to concede for a 5&3 defeat.
"It felt pretty good out there," said Donald. "I didn't give Martin too many opportunities and the odd time he snuck a putt in on me first I managed to follow him in there.
"I just kept putting the pressure on all day nice to get a victory against such a tough opponent.
"It's nice to step on the tee and pretty much know where it's going, I've started to hole a few more putts this week and everything's started to come together which is a pretty nice feeling."
Poulter pulls through
Donald had the chance to put his feet up and watch Ian Poulter come through another tight battle after slugging it out with surprise Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts for 19 holes.
Every Poulter match in Spain has gone down the 18th, but it never looked likely as Colsaerts was dominant for most of the match after going ahead on the second.
Colsaerts was two up after 14, but Poulter won the 15th and 16th as the pressure started to tell on the young Belgian and they ended up all square.
After going through 18 holes without ever being ahead, Poulter won the first extra hole, back down the 18th, to go through and set-up an all-English battle with Donald for the title.
"I had to dig real deep, that was a tough match," said Poulter "Nicolas has the advantage of length on me and this course is set up for that. I didn't play my best golf early on in the round but I just hung on in there."
