|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSICJanuary 27, 2015Martin KaymerDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES MICHAEL GIBBONS: Thanks for joining us, as always. Give us your thoughts on the week ahead before we go into questions. MARTIN KAYMER: Well, obviously it has been a while. I think I can't even remember the last time I was here. It's been a couple years. But obviously one of the best memories I had was in 2008 when I had just won in Abu Dhabi, my first tournament and I came over here when Tiger played, and I came only one shot behind him. Obviously back then it was super exciting. I was just over a year on Tour, and then all of a sudden with a chance of being in a playoff with Tiger Woods. So that was probably the best memories I had, especially the way I finished, the birdie, birdie, eagle, thinking the eagle might have been enough to get into the playoff. But unfortunately he birdied 18, too, that I was one shot behind. So there are a lot of good memories of that place, especially that region of the world where we like to come to. MICHAEL GIBBONS: And obviously you spoke in Abu Dhabi, a couple of weeks ago, have you sort of processed that any further? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, already, let's say, 24 hours later, the Monday evening by then, I knew what happened. I knew the reasons, because I had plenty of time to reflect, to think a little bit what happened those four hours on the golf course, why certain things happened. And it was very nice to talk to my dad and my brother about it, because you know, I think it's very important to realise what was going wrong. But also that you have to talk about it and actually speak the words. And obviously it's something fairly private that you don't like to talk to everyone about, so therefore, it was quite nice when I could be fairly open with my brother and dad about it. Sometimes the truth can be very hard but if you don't face the truth, then I think you don't grow as much as you could. So and therefore, that Monday‑‑ fortunately it was bad either here in Dubai, that we couldn't play golf; that we had a lot of time to talk. So the Monday was a very good day for me to realise what actually happened on Sunday. Q. What would it mean to bounce back from that here, your first event since Abu Dhabi. How big a need is it to come here and sort of prove a point and bounce back from what happened? MARTIN KAYMER: Well, prove a point for who, that's the question. That was part of the reflection, as well. Who do you do it for? Do you do it for others, of their expectations? Do you do it for yourself? I didn't come here to Dubai to prove to others that I could win a golf tournament. I don't care about this. I proved many, many times before that I can win. There were many situations that were more difficult, more important, so I know it has nothing to do with my game. The way I played the Sunday, I didn't play worse, but I did play worse than Thursday, Friday, Saturday, but I had reasons, and those reasons, that is not nothing to do with my swing or anything. What happened on Sunday has never happened in my career before, leading by six, seven, ten shots at one stage, and then losing. So therefore, it was a new situation, and something actually I'm very glad that it happened. Because it happens at one stage in your career. I think it's very tough to avoid and I don't know if you want to avoid it, because those things, they are not nice when it happens, but afterwards, you are even more motivated because you grow as a golf player but also as a person, a lot on the golf course. And therefore, you became more mature. It was almost like a life lesson, not only golf lesson that I got there. So therefore, I'm very glad that happened. Q. Could you just give us an insight into what that painful truth was that you had to face up to on that Monday and what was it you hoped you learned that will help you in the future? MARTIN KAYMER: Well, to give you an idea of it is, I think everybody of us has faced it already before; that you think you do things, that they are right for you, and you think you act in a certain way that might make you more successful or make you happier in life, whatever it is. But they actually don't, but you tell yourself they do. You know, when you start off the golf tournament, or you lead six, seven shots, and then you start off birdie, birdie, par, birdie, you almost feel like, I mean, not much could go wrong. And in golf, that little bit of too much confidence can hurt, and it's a very, very fine line. And therefore, you know, realising certain things, how I felt on the golf course, is not the person I am and it's not the person I want to be. So therefore, it didn't feel very natural to me, and it becomes very difficult because it's an unknown situation; a situation you don't want to be in, but somehow you got into it. And then you ask instead of, how did I go into it, why did I get into it. And all those answers I got, which was important to me. So therefore, you know, for me, it was a very, very nice week in Abu Dhabi, even though, of course, I would have loved to win, and I hope I will have another chance in the future to win that golf tournament, maybe even to break the record of 24‑under par. But this year, it was more important to lose, more important for the future to lose in order to win more in the future. Q. Did you not get that same feeling you were vulnerable at the U.S. Open and the players where you did get the big lead and you held on to it and pulled away? MARTIN KAYMER: Yes, but I did handle it different. I handled it different at the U.S. Open, handled it different at Sawgrass, at The Ryder Cup, many other occasions where I was leading, where I had wins wire‑to‑wire; 2010 where I kept winning golf tournaments. Abu Dhabi was different and I'm glad it was different because I think every athlete needs that. I don't want to call it a bad experience, because it's not a bad experience. It would create a bad result on the scorecard, but it creates a lot of truth about yourself; that we are not machines; that we are not, you know, the German engineering always works (laughter). It does work, usually, but once in awhile, it stuck, too. There for it was a brilliant day for me. Q. I perhaps should have asked you in Abu Dhabi, but there was a brief period from about sixth to your eighth, ninth hole, where there was a lot of the trophy movement around you with the television production, and you had to jump across and things like that. Did that make your mind race ahead? Did you realise that was happening? MARTIN KAYMER: It's tough to avoid. It's tough to avoid not thinking about the trophy when it's right there, you know. I almost fell over it. (Laughter) It was not very nice of the people, I must say. But now, I see it as a positive. In that situation, subconsciously, you realise it, and subconsciously, you ask yourself, why does he put the trophy here. Yeah, it's nice for the camera, but it's annoying for the player. But then, reflecting on it afterwards, it's good that they do this. Why should it always be easy for you? I see that day, what happened on Sunday in Abu Dhabi, as one of the biggest learning days I had on the golf course. Not playing‑wise, just mentally. I'm sure the people who put the trophy there, they didn't mean it in a bad way. I'm sure they didn't. So for me, it was a challenge that day in many ways. And the challenge that hopefully I can learn from, or I do learn from, but hopefully I can use in future tournaments, in future situations, where similar things have happened, now I know how I feel, and next time, I wouldn't care as much. Q. Does that mean, very, very slightly, there's a slightly different Martin Kaymer coming to Dubai this week? MARTIN KAYMER: Different‑‑ I think every tournament we win or lose, the next tournament we play, we're different. So it can be negative; it can be positive. But I think every tournament or every huge step in your career, will have an impact on you and therefore, you change if you want or not. So I must agree that, yes, I do come here as a different person (smiling). Q. You spoke about the process you had gone through looking back on what happened on Sunday. You're a very calm person, but on Sunday night back in the hotel or apartment, did you feel you wanted to punch someone, cry, get drunk? What was your immediate emotion? MARTIN KAYMER: You would think, and I was surprised about that, too, I was totally fine. I was not‑‑ my brother asked me, too, when he came to the room. He said, "Don't you want to destroy a hanger or something?" (Laughter). And I said, "No, I'm fine." Because I was still so surprised what happened, because it was so new for me. And I had more thoughts in my head on reflection than being angry about something, because I know it has nothing to do with that I can't win a golf tournament. It's nothing to do with that I can't hit the golf shots. So the most important things in golf, I know I can handle. I just need to figure out, or back then I need to figure out, what was the reason. So I didn't really have time to be angry. And then I watched a little bit of the footage, as well, and on 18, when I was reading my putt, the birdie putt, I put my hand down a little bit and thought for three or four seconds longer than usually, because I could not realise what happened. You know, the last ten holes I played, it was different for me. That's not the way I play usually. So I'm very glad that I had that experience, because if I would have won Abu Dhabi again, yeah, great, Martin, you can name the golf course Martin Kaymer Golf Course and all these things, and yeah, that would have been good, too, but I wouldn't have gained much. I would have got a little more money, I would have gotten a few more World Ranking points and another beautiful trophy in my house. But Sunday was‑‑ I think it will be better for the future. Q. I don't mean to pry if it is as you say a private matter. Do you expect your problem on Sunday is now gone; that this is baggage now fully behind you or will you need to perhaps further have discussions with your brother and your dad in due course? MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I think it's an ongoing process. I think I will face certain situations hopefully again, where I might lead with a few shots. But you know, I wouldn't say‑‑ everybody saw it as a negative and I don't see it as a negative at all. It is a process of your career; that you can't win every single tournament, even though if you lead by so many shots. It's a big lesson to learn, and we always learn lessons in golf, and that was a big lesson. That was not 60 minutes; it was maybe 90 minutes of lesson. I don't see it negative at all. If I'm over it now or all of those things, I wouldn't put it in a negative light. I would rather put it in a neutral or positive light, because it is not as negative as everybody thinks, even though a lot of people were surprised or disappointed. But you know, it's part of your career. Everyone has done it. You know, you could see what happened to Rory what happened at the Masters. It was shocking to see. It was sad to see. But then, I'm sure, maybe he didn't even talk about it, but I'm sure he gained from that disappointment so much that he could gain more motivation, and you become more. You become more like a man. It's tough to handle those situations. It's honest. It's the truth and then you can move forward and then a few months later, he won the U.S. Open by 20 shots or whatever. I think a lot of people put it always in a negative light. Obviously the result is not good, but there's a lot more behind it than just the result. Q. How does it affect your feelings coming into this event? Are you more confident? How do you feel coming into this event off the back of that? MARTIN KAYMER: I feel very, very good, very calm, because I'm fine. I'm fine what happened. Again I don't see it as much negative. I didn't lose much. What I said, I lost a few World Ranking points, a trophy and some money. But I can handle all of those three things. So this week, I enjoy that place a lot. I have good memories here. The golf course is in great shape. There's a good field, so there's nothing really that you shouldn't look forward to, so I approach that week as a happy Martin Kaymer. Q. I know it was some months back but every time you play with your partners from The Ryder Cup, how does that feel, coming back together with a couple of the guys, especially on some downtime events like today? How do you feel going into that? MARTIN KAYMER: Well, it's a run event. I think we play a scrambles afternoon, so you will have a lot fun. You will laugh a lot. You might even talk about some situations that happened at The Ryder Cup, and it was more about entertainment. Golf is usually so serious. When you stand on a tee box and it's so quiet, no one is talking; you wonder, are they really enjoying this here. Today is more about enjoying the wonderful sport that we play and playing the game, and not always trying to control yourself, controlling the golf shots and those things. Just having fun and maybe even talking some‑‑ I know another word than‑‑ MICHAEL GIBBONS: Nonsense? MARTIN KAYMER: Yes, some nonsense. Just be the way we are usually and hopefully we can get across and the people here in Dubai see how much fun golf is, and, yeah, make it even bigger in that region of the world. Q. So maybe on The European Tour we need a bit more of the Bubba Watson excitement when he tees off? MARTIN KAYMER: (Thinking). Q. Maybe not? MARTIN KAYMER: I don't know if you need much more excitement. I think the European players, they are just fine. I think it's a lot of an American thing, as well, to see the drama and obviously if you see Bubba Watson, the way he hits a golf ball, yeah, it is quite different than all the other guys. And I'm sure it doesn't matter where he goes. It's entertainment for the players, but hopefully we can hit a few good shots and they like that, too. Q. Going back to Abu Dhabi, prior to that, when was the last time you took so many positives out of what people might have perceived as a negative? MARTIN KAYMER: As much as Abu Dhabi, never before. But close was probably HSBC in Shanghai just two months before that where I should have won the golf tournament, where Bubba won, the entertainment player, (laughter) so then you reflect why things happen. Shanghai was pretty clear for me why it happened. We play too much golf. It was difficult in the end to really focus and to get that little bit of extra ten percent that you need in order to win, even though you wanted to, but you were just done with golf. So Abu Dhabi was different, but there was only two months before that where I thought if that tournament would have been in February or March, I would have had a very good chance to win. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Impressive stuff, Herr Kaymer, thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|