The young German needed only one extra hole to beat Westwood, after the former European number one found the water with his approach to the difficult 18th.

The botched extra hole came after a solid final round, however, in which Westwood carded a sterling 7-under 65 to force the playoff.

After 72 holes of regulation play, both players were at 13-under-par, three strokes better than third place Ian Poulter.

Putting key to victory

Kaymer was off to a fast start at Le Golf National in St. Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, after he tied the course record with a 62 on Thursday. Rounds of 72 and 69 on Friday and Saturday left Kaymer one back heading into Sunday, and a 68 was enough to get into the playoff with Westwood.

A myriad of long putts, the longest an 84-footer on the eighth, proved the key to Kaymer's third European Tour victory, who comes from the western German city of Dusseldorf.

"My putting was great all week," Kaymer told reporters. "I made so many putts from everywhere."

Significant win

With the victory Kaymer took home the $930,000 top prize, which brings him to fifth on the European Order of Merit. More importantly, however, the win is sure to bring Kaymer into the top 20 in the world golf rankings.

"The world ranking is the important thing to me," Kaymer said. "I've never been this high before."

This is the first time a German has won the French Open in 25 years. Two-time Masters Champion Bernhard Langer was the last to the lift the trophy, when he won at the St. Cloud Golf Club in Paris in 1984.

For Kaymer, who many say is walking in the footsteps of Langer, Germany’s most dominant player in the 20th century, the French Open is his third international victory.

He also triumphed in Abu Dhabi and at the BMW International last year.

glb/dpa/Reuters
Editor: Nathan Witkop