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PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 15, 2015

Martin Kaymer

Kohler, Wisconsin, USA

JOHN DEVER: Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the '97th PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. I'd like to thank Martin Kaymer for stopping by. Martin, pair of 70s the first two days here, and a bogeyless 65 today.

When did you know that you were locked in and what changed compared to your first two rounds?

MARTIN KAYMER: Tough one. What was different? I think I would play -- I played pretty much the same way. I hit the ball very well today, the same as yesterday, on Thursday. But today there were a couple of putts, a couple bonuses here and there.

But it's a funny feeling when you play with someone that is playing as great as I played today, even better on a lot of the other holes. And he made a lot of putts, too, great short game, didn't miss many fairways. So we really feed off each other, and it really pushes you. And I never thought about when people always say, is it nice to play with someone who is playing great or is it more difficult because you always feel like you're one behind?

But today was one of those things you really don't want to lose too many shots. You keep going, you keep going, and that's what Branden and me did today.

JOHN DEVER: You were tied for 4th after three rounds, is this a familiar feeling for you right now?

MARTIN KAYMER: It all depends on where the leader is going to be by the end of the day. But I did as good as I could today.

Five years ago, I think I was 5 or 6 shots behind after the third day, and all of a sudden I was leading after six holes on the golf course. It's one of those things in major championships, the last round so much can happen. I'm just glad that I put myself in a position to maybe have a chance tomorrow. But then again they're still playing, they could be five or six shots ahead of me by the end of the night.

Q. I know you said before that this is I think your favorite American golf course, if I'm not mistaken. And maybe you can just talk a little bit about why. What seems to bring out the best in you with this course?
MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I always enjoy golf courses where you have 18 holes where there's not one hole boring. Every hole has something that makes you think about, and there's always something tricky.

It's such an interesting golf course. If you don't hit the ball well, you can shoot easily 75, 76. But if you hit fairways and make a couple of putts here or there, you can shoot a good score. It's a very fair golf course.

But then I think what Mr. Kohler and Pete Dye did here, it's very tricky these days to build a golf course that's exciting for four, four and a half hours. And that's what I enjoy. There's never a shot where you have to say I have to hit it there and then I hit it on the green. You always have to think.

It's just fun. It's really fun to play. And at the same time, it's a beautiful spot. It's very, very difficult to beat views like this and having such an exciting golf course. So that's why for me it's the best course in America that I've played.

Q. Towards the end of the round, the crowd started getting bigger and more boisterous. What does that do to your nerves as you're trying to close out a good round?
MARTIN KAYMER: It's difficult to realize. You maybe realize -- I didn't even realize how big the crowds are or were in the end. When you come down the stretch, in the last three or four holes, there are always a few more people here and there.

But 17 was huge. There was great applause. There was such a fantastic atmosphere. And I heard a lot of Germans out there, as well, obviously there are quite a few here. So it's a great support that Branden and me got today.

Q. The playoff back in 2010, there was a playoff in 2004 here. It's a crowded leaderboard, what is it about this golf course?
MARTIN KAYMER: I think it's hard to score in general. It's not a golf course someone will run away shooting two or three 65s. You need to keep your score together. And you need to be very, very patient and wait for your chances. You can't really force it.

Some pin positions, especially on the par 3s, even though you have a 7-iron or 6-iron in your hand, but you have to play for 20, 25 feet, and hope you make a birdie that way. If you go for it, it can easily be a double or triple bogey. And sometimes those mistakes happen. And therefore when you have a run going for three or four birdies, then if that happens to you, then it throws you back again. So it's very difficult to run away, I think that explains why the leaderboard is so bunched together right now.

Q. How is your confidence level different now and your mental outlook different now than it was five years ago at this time?
MARTIN KAYMER: Well, back then there was the confidence of -- obviously I had won a few on the European Tour, but nothing really major. I was just very confident in my game. I didn't make many mistakes back then. I hit a lot of fairways, I hit a lot of greens, it was just all about the putting.

Now, winning big tournaments in America, in Europe, the Ryder Cup, all those memories and all those experience how you feel as a player when you're in those critical situations under a lot of pressure, you learn a lot about yourself and you learn a lot about how you handle the pressure situations. Everybody handles them different.

The funny thing is that you think he's won two or three majors here or there and he knows how to handle three or four holes. But every situation is so different. Because every time you play a different golf course, you play against someone different, and you can't really prepare for it. And that is what I didn't know five years ago. I thought those guys who won majors before, they know, for them it's maybe just a daily business, on a little bit higher scale. But for me it was huge. And it is always huge, and I didn't realize it back then.

Q. Jason Day said the other day that being paired with you that final round in 2010, he learned that you don't have to hit it perfectly to win a major. He said you scrambled so beautifully to score well. Was that a lesson that you hadn't really learned before that? Was that a revelation to you, too, that you didn't have to be perfect to be a major champion?
MARTIN KAYMER: Well, certainly you don't. You've seen it many times with many major winners, even at the U.S. Open that I won last year. I didn't play perfect golf. It seemed like it to a lot of guys, and it looked pretty perfect on TV, but you as a player, you know, I got lucky here, or, wow, how did can I -- like the third day I putt off the green. Wow, what's happening with that guy? How can he lead by eight shots?

So scrambling is a big part. But I think at the end of the day, long-term the ball-striking abilities, the guys who hit the ball solid long-term they will win. You will have a good week here and there and you might pick up a major, but I don't think it would last. And therefore for me it was so important to get everything, to become more of a complete player.

But Jason looks like he has it all, really. He hits it very long, very straight, fantastic in the short game. So it's going to be very, very difficult to catch him.

Q. Earlier this week when reflecting on your win here five years ago, you said you were sad about the way people remember it. Why is that? What would it mean to you to win here again?
MARTIN KAYMER: Why is very simple, you know, you win a major and you don't get much credit for it. It's more like you think you've done something very, very special.

But the main topic when it comes down to Whistling Straits is what happened on the 18th hole with other players. That is a tricky one. And I said earlier this week in an interview, if I don't win this week, I really want Dustin to win. It would be fantastic for him and it's really time for him to win a major. And it would be the best place for him.

Second question was?

Q. What would it mean to win here again?
MARTIN KAYMER: To be honest, I haven't really thought that far. I'm just very happy that I put myself in a position for tomorrow. If I would win again hopefully in a more regular way that there's not much happening on the 18th hole, but again I think it will be tough to -- very difficult to catch Jason tomorrow.

Q. I think right now there's over 40 players under par in today's round. The course is playing to just over 70 on a scoring average. Is that just the rain last night or what about the course today made it so available to the field?
MARTIN KAYMER: I think, yeah, I think it's the rain, because the fairways, they're still fairly soft, so therefore they're very wide or fairly wide. The greens, you know, you can stop the ball with a 6-iron pretty much within two or three meters, so what is that, five, six feet. So you can be very aggressive.

And the greens are perfect. So if you place yourself on the fairway, you can be very aggressive with your iron shots. And if you're a good putter, you know, it's not up to the green, it's all up to yourself. So that explains it pretty much.

JOHN DEVER: Thanks so much for being here with us today.

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