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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONSNovember 5, 2014Martin KaymerSHANGHAI, CHINA SARAH GWYNN: Thank you for joining us this morning, welcome back to Shanghai. If you could just briefly talk through your preparations in the first part of this week and what you've been up to. MARTIN KAYMER: Well, the last few weeks pretty much since, when was the last one, the Dunhill, since then I haven't really played much golf. I've played only three rounds, and that was in Bermuda and then I haven't practiced at all because I didn't really want to. There's so much golf that we play, that I played this year, playing on both tours, playing the FedExCup, The Ryder Cup, the Dunhill, that was a lot of golf, especially the last two or three months. I was moving from my old apartment to my new apartment, and that was quite nice to do something completely different. Yeah, and I came here on Sunday or Monday morning to practice a little bit to get ready for the week. But it's a big week for all of us, and it's the biggest tournament outside the U.S. except the British Open that we play. So it's a huge event that I would like to win again; in 2011 I was fortunate enough to do. So there's still a lot of golf to play, even though it's tiring and you are a little bit tired already but there's a lot of points that we play for. Q. For a number of players here, this is the first big event of the PGA TOUR season. For others, perhaps yourself, finishing up another season. Which one is it for you? What does it feel like to you, the start of the year, end of the year or one big year? MARTIN KAYMER: For sure the end of the year. When you play on both tours, you have two ends. You have two finishing lines to cross, and it's unfortunately quite a big gap between the first one and the second one. So it's a little bit difficult to still motivate yourself, especially if you have done well this year. But once you stand on the golf course and play on Thursday, it's fine. It's back to normal but the preparation is a lot more tiring than in May or June. Q. Your left wrist is wrapped. Is there an injury you've suffered recently? How does it feel now? MARTIN KAYMER: I've had it sense May. It's protection. If I don't wear it, it can get a little painful, but it's just a little protection. I think it's good, if I put a little bit more pressure on the wrist and therefore it doesn't hurt. I mean, it's not an injury or anything. Q. This year you chose not to play the BMW Masters; is there any special reason? And what's your approach for this year's WGC HSBC Champions? MARTIN KAYMER: First, I knew if I play another four tournaments in a row, two in China and then one in Turkey and Dubai, it's so much golf. And the tournaments that I want to play that I choose to play, I want to be 100 percent committed to it. And I had thought if I play another four tournaments in a row, I would be tired in Dubai. In Dubai, I've never won there. It's a big event for us on The European Tour that I always wanted to win, so I thought energy‑wise, it would be a lot smarter to play only three. Second question was goals for this week? Q. Your approach for this week's tournament. MARTIN KAYMER: I've done always very well here. I really enjoy the golf course. It suits my eye a lot. I have scored fairly low here in the past. I shot 9‑under and 10‑under the last two tournaments the last two years I played here, so I know that I can play very low rounds. I think it's always important that you have done‑‑ in order to put yourself up there again, it's important to know that you can shoot very low and I have very positive memories of that golf course. So that's why I look really, really forward to play the event. It's my most favourite golf course in Asia. Q. When you see that Rory is not playing here, do you look at that from a selfish point of view and think that's one less top player to beat, or do you see that as maybe a disappointment for the tournament or a mixture of both? MARTIN KAYMER: Well, for sure, a loss for the tournament but on the other hand, everybody has to understand that it's not always about golf our entire life. There are other things that you have to take care of, if it's positive or negative. So it's definitely a loss for the golf tournament. You know, he's still so young and I hope for him that he can play as much golf and that he enjoys it as much as possible but it's quite a unique position that he's in. But it's still a very, very strong field to beat. So obviously one player, usually it doesn't make a difference, but when you talk about No. 1 in the world, of course you think, okay, they are one player less to beat and a good one less to beat. But I think overall, if you look at the big picture, that's a loss for the standing of the tournament. It would be quite nice if the best players could compete here. So, yeah, that's my thoughts. Q. How pleased were you to see a fellow German win the BMW last week, Marcel? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, especially the way he won. I chipped in The Ryder Cup and BMW Masters, I sent him a text, I think we are improving our short game recently. It was nice to see, I know how hard he works. And I don't know the last time he won was probably I think in Morocco two years ago. And it was a huge win because he jumped way ahead of me in the Order of Merit. When I looked at the rankings on Monday morning, I thought, wow, a minute ago I was in the top five or top six and now I'm 12th (laughter). But I'm very happy for him. He's fourth or fifth in the Order of Merit. He's obviously secure for Dubai, even though he was before but, now he has a chance to finish, I would say second; I think Rory already is far away but I was very happy for him. Q. Marcel has had a couple of big wins in his career, the French a couple years ago and now the BMW, do you think he's ready for the next step, to be competing in Majors and events like this? MARTIN KAYMER: I mean, he definitely has the skills. But I think to win Majors is very difficult to say. It depends so much on your mental game. It's not that difficult to putt yourself in a position to win a major. It happens once in awhile but to finally win it, I think it takes a little bit of experience, as well, to be in that position. Obviously he's longer on the Tour than me and he has a lot of experience when it comes down to regular events, but I think you need to gain a little bit more experience in Majors. I think that's very important. And skill‑wise, yeah, he has the game. If he has the head for it, I don't know, and I don't know if he knows. I think you only find out when you are in the position. Q. This is going to sound like a swing question but it's really not. When you are rebuilding or if your ranking is way low and you're trying to get back, and let's say the process takes a year, how difficult are the first two months compared with when you're almost complete? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, it's nothing to do with the swing, what you said. It's more in your head. I think you need to prepare yourself mentally that you're going to play poor for a certain amount of time because that's what it takes in order to change. And therefore, it's a lot easier to accept that you will miss the cut once in awhile; that you won't have a chance to win a golf tournament. You will have a lucky round where you all of a sudden shoot 66 or 67, but you know it's not going to last long. I think it's a lot in your head that you need to prepare for. Q. Is it easy to give up? MARTIN KAYMER: Easy to give up? No, I mean, it can be‑‑ Q. Get discouraged. MARTIN KAYMER: I don't know, I never thought about giving up. I knew exactly where I wanted to be or where I wanted to be in a year and a half or two years, so giving up would have been very weak, very‑‑ lack of character, I would almost say. Then there's no reason to change if you even have some kind of a doubt. Q. You've got a bit of golf to play of course this year but looking ahead to the four Majors next year, you have the excitement of your U.S. Open defence at a new golf course, the Old Course where you've won before, and also the PGA Championship where you won in 2010. So how much are you looking forward to going back to those four venues, or three, anyway? MARTIN KAYMER: When it comes down to the majors next year, it's probably my best, I would say‑‑ or the year where I look the most forward to, because what you said, I've been successful; more successful every year in Augusta; I have to see the positives here. And then the U.S. Open, it's a new golf course, I don't know that one, but as defending champion, it's always nice to compete in an event like this. The British Open we play on my favourite golf course in the world. The only thing I struggled with a little bit the last couple times I played was on the greens, so I might go a little bit earlier and get used to that. And then the PGA Championship; you know, we play two Majors on two of my favourite golf course in the world, so it's not possible to beat. So I will definitely enjoy the rounds that I'm playing there. You know, if you ask me about how good my chances are or not, who knows, but I can tell you that I will stand on the first tee with a lot of positive thoughts by Thursday morning. SARAH GWYNN: We'll leave it there, thank you very much, guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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