PINEHURST, N.C. -- The U.S. Open trophy Martin Kaymer won Sunday was all he needed to prove he was anything but a one-hit wonder in the majors, and that the two years he spent trying to build a complete game were worth all the doubt that followed him. As he set it down on the table, Kaymer rubbed off a tiny smudge on the gleaming silver, which was only fitting. Over four days at Pinehurst No. 2, he dusted the field in a performance that ranks among the best. Kaymer set the 36-hole scoring record by opening with a pair of 65s. He never let anyone closer than four shots over the final 48 holes. Equipped with a five-shot lead, he was the only player from the last eight groups to break par. Welcome back, Martin. "You want to win majors in your career, but if you can win one more, it means so much more," Kaymer said after closing with a 1-under 69 for an eight-shot victory over Rickie Fowler and two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton. "Some people, especially when I went through that low, called me a one-hit wonder and those things. So its quite nice proof, even though I dont feel like I need to prove a lot to people. But somehow, its quite satisfying to have two under your belt." The 29-year-old German is a forgotten star no more. Kaymer returned to the elite in golf by turning the toughest test in golf into a runaway at Pinehurst No. 2, becoming only the seventh player to go wire-to-wire in the 114 years of the U.S. Open. Only three players finished the championship under par. One guy appeared to be playing a different tournament. "No one was catching Kaymer this week," Compton said. "I was playing for second. I think we all were playing for second." Only a late bogey kept Kaymer from joining Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as the only players to finish a U.S. Open in double digits under par. He let his putter fall to the ground when his 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole dropped into the centre of the cup, like so many others had this week. Kaymer finished at 9-under 271. His last two wins are the U.S. Open and The Players Championship, with the strongest and deepest field in golf. He never trailed after any round in both of them. "Martin was playing his own tournament," Fowler said after recovering from a double bogey on the fourth hole to close with a 72. This U.S. Open really ended Friday. No one had ever opened 65-65 in the U.S. Open, which broke the 36-hole record that McIlroy set three years ago rain-softened Congressional. When it could have gotten away from Kaymer in the third round, he stayed strong for a stabilizing 72. "He kind of killed the event in the first two days," Henrik Stenson said. "He went out and shot two 65s and left everyone in the dust." He did it again in the final round. Knowing the gallery was against him -- the loud cheers for Fowler, clapping when Kaymers ball bounded over the back of the second green -- he holed a 10-foot par putt, and then drilled a driver on the 313-yard third hole onto the green to set up a two-putt birdie. Fowler, in the final group of a major for the first time, fell back quickly on the fourth hole. He sent his third shot from a sandy path over the green and into some pine trees and had to make a 25-foot putt just to escape with double bogey. "It was probably the toughest day that I played golf today, especially the first nine," Kaymer said. "Because if you have two or three Americans chasing you, playing in America, its never easy being a foreigner. But I said at the ceremony as well that the fans were very fair. But it was a tough one. If you lead by five shots, its not easy. "A lot of people think, Well, you have a little bit of a cushion. But if you approach that day in that way, with that attitude, it can be gone so quickly." No chance on this day. Compton was the only player who really put up a fight. His birdie on No. 8 got him within four shots. Three bogeys in a five-hole stretch on the back nine did him in. Even so, Compton received a standing ovation walking the 18th green. He somehow scratched out a par from 50 yards away against the lip of a bunker. It wasnt the Hollywood script he wanted, but it wasnt a bad consolation -- his first trip to the Masters next April. "Ive never gotten this far along in my story," Compton said. "Im thrilled." Kaymer joined Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Woods and McIlroy as the only players to win two majors and be No. 1 in the world before turning 30 since the world ranking began in 1986. He is the fourth European in the last five years to win the U.S. Open, after Europeans had gone 40 years without this title. Its a rebirth for Kaymer, who reached No. 1 in the world in February 2011, only to believe that he needed a more rounded game. His preferred shot was a fade. Kaymer spent two hard years and a lot of lonely hours on the range in Germany and his American home in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was as low as No. 63 in the world six weeks ago. Now he goes to No. 11. Woods still holds the most dominant U.S. Open win -- 15 shots at Pebble Beach in 2000. McIlroy holds the scoring record at 16-under 268. "Im wondering how he did it," McIlroy said. "Obviously, if you limit the mistakes, you might end up a couple under for the week. But to do what hes doing ... I think its nearly more impressive than what I did at Congressional." Among those who congratulated Kaymer on the 18th green was Sandra Gal, a German player on the LPGA Tour. The U.S. Womens Open takes over Pinehurst No. 2 on Monday. Nike Shoes China . A judge had summoned Clemens and Brian McNamee to federal court in Brooklyn for settlement talks aimed at heading off a trial in the defamation case. McNamees lawyer emerged saying an agreement wasnt likely. "I think this is a case where the lines are deeply drawn in the sand," said attorney Richard Emery. Nike Shoes From China Outlet . Picard had a goal and two assists to help Canada improve to 2-0 at the tournament. Seven different players scored for the two-time defending champions. "Today all four lines played excellent," said head coach Laura Schuler. https://www.nikeshoeschina.us/. An offseason trade acquisition from Kansas City, Greinkes National League debut was delayed by a non-baseball injury in the spring, and he was 0-1 after dropping an 8-0 decision at Atlanta in his initial appearance with the Brewers on May 4. Discount Nike Shoes From China . -- Hal Steinbrenner says Alex Rodriguez is "a great player" and "obviously an asset," but the New York Yankees managing general partner wouldnt discuss the third basemans possible return to the team following a season-long suspension. Wholesale Nike Shoes From China . Various media outlets, including the Detroit Free Press, indicate a deal is close, while USA Today cited an unidentified person directly involved with the negotiations as saying the pact is for two years. CHICAGO -- Paul Konerko will likely be watching from the bench for the start of what figures to be his 16th and final opening day with the Chicago White Sox And the 38-year-old first baseman is comfortable with that decision, which ends a streak of 15 consecutive opening-day starts. Konerkos new role is as a right-handed-hitting platoon player at designated hitter. With Minnesota starting right-hander Ricky Nolasco, left-handed-hitting Adam Dunn will start. "I just think its the way it should be," Konerko said Sunday as both teams conducted voluntary workouts. "Its just not part of the blueprint of what were going to do here. ... Its pretty simple. Theres a plan and roles of when guys play and when they dont." A six-time All-Star, Konerko agreed in December to a $2.5 million, one-year contract. White Sox manager Robin Ventura said Konerko made the choice to stay with the platoon. "In talking to Paulie, its not an easy decision," Ventura said, "but when you go over how youre going to do this and make this work, he made it clear this is kind of what he signed up to do." Left-hander Chris Sale starts for the White Sox. He was surprised by Konerkos decision but said he respected it. "I think he should be out there," Sale said. "What hes done for this city, what hes done for this team, who hes been throughout his career, I think hes earned that. But what he says, goes." Starting his second White Sox opener, Sale faces Nolasco in only the third time opening-day meeting between the teams and the first since 19993.dddddddddddd. After a lengthy and severe Chicago winter, Mondays forecast calls for partly sunny skies and a 65-degree temperature. The White Sox are coming off a 63-99 season, their poorest record since 1970. Their projected lineup features five players making their opening-day debuts, including Cuban slugger Jose Abreu, who signed a $68 million, six-year contract. "I dont really know where Im going to be hitting, but it doesnt matter," Abreu said through a translator. "To be honest with you, thats irrelevant. Im ready to hit wherever they put me. Im here to help the team." Minnesota (66-96) committed $73 million to sign Nolasco (13-11 for Miami and the Los Angeles Dodgers) and Phil Hughes in an effort to rebuild its pitching. "Its important to get off to a good start," Nolasco said. "I know theyve been struggling the last couple years, but weve been working hard as a staff trying to go out there do quick, efficient innings, get us back in the dugout and try to swing the bats." Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said Nolasco is ready for the season. "Rickys game on," he said. "Im not worried about him one bit. Hell go until he tells us hes tired. Hes very sure of what he needs to do to win." Despite snow piles and a frozen field earlier this month, Roger Bossards groundskeepers got the playing surface ready at U.S. Cellular Field. "Im impressed," Ventura said. "We thought thered be an iceberg out in left field with all the reports we got. ... But we knew Roger would pull it off this off." ' ' '