SHANGHAI -- Martin Kaymer was five shots behind and going nowhere Sunday, making nothing but pars when he needed much more to give himself a chance in the HSBC Champions.
Kaymer, the PGA champion at Whistling Straits last year, became the 10th player to have won a major and a WGC event.
His standard of golf was so high that it nearly shifted attention away from caddie Steve Williams and the racial comment he made about Tiger Woods earlier in the week at a caddies award party.
That still lingered, however. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem and European Tour chief executive George O'Grady issued a statement on behalf of the six major tours that there was "no place for any form of racism is ours or any other sport" and that Williams' comment was "unacceptable in whatever context."
Even so, the tours said Williams' apology for his racial slur against Woods -- "It was my aim to shove it up his black a------" -- was sufficient enough that they considered the matter closed and declined further comment.
Adam Scott, who has employed Williams since Woods fired the caddie, closed with a 73 and tied for 11th. Scott said he was comfortable with the tours' statement, which matched his own feelings, and that he "absolutely" would keep Williams on the bag.
Kaymer, who finished at 20-under 268 and earned $1.2 million, moved to second on the European Tour money list and to No. 4 in the world ranking. He still has golf left this year, although it sure gave him a different outlook.
Rory McIlroy made a short birdie on the par-5 18th that gave him a 69 and proved significant. It put him in a three-way tie for fourth, allowing him to move past Lee Westwood to No. 2 in the world.
Europe now occupies the first four positions in the world ranking, starting with Luke Donald at No. 1.
PGA champion Keegan Bradley had a 72-72 weekend, keeping him from a third win this year that could have changed players' minds about their vote for PGA Tour player of the year. And with McIlroy failing to win, it kept Donald with a $1.4 million lead in Europe as he tries to become the first player to win money titles on the PGA and European tours.