Defending champ Kaymer misses cut

Martin Kaymer missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Friday, a year after he won the title by eight strokes. The three-time Abu Dhabi champion shot a 1-over 73 to leave him 6 over for the tournament. European Tour officials said he will not be playing into the weekend. Kaymer, who had come in as a favorite considering his past success on the course, blamed his putting for his troubles, adding that he ''didn't have a lot of birdie chances'' on Friday. He said he was hoping to score well but shrugged off his troubles as ''a little bit of a rough period for me these last couple of days.'' ''Expectations were very high,'' the German said. ''When you go to a tournament where you've played very well in the past, you expect your going to be successful somehow and it hasn't happened this week. It's OK. I practiced hard in the winter and it will come together at some stage.'' Kaymer appeared to be rebounding from his opening 5-over 77 when he had two birdies on his first nine holes. But after the turn, he had a bogey and a double-bogey over the next three holes to seal his fate. Kaymer last missed a cut at the KLM Open in November. Until this year, Kaymer has treated the Abu Dhabi course as his home-away-from home, winning the last two tournaments at the National Club at the Abu Dhabi Golf Course, finishing second in 2009 and winning in 2008.