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BMW INTERNATIONAL OPEN

June 21, 2017

Martin Kaymer

Cologne, Germany

Q. In 2008 you were the youngest winner and only German winner so far, as well. What's it like coming back to play here every year?
MARTIN KAYMER: It's one of those tournaments that obviously back then, it was a very emotional win for me. You had all the spectators and the German flags, and I was leading the tournament by five or six shots and it had to come down to a playoff. So there were great memories in the end.

Winning in your home country, we all know how difficult it is. For whatever reason, it's a bit more difficult to play here and even winning. It was a very nice performance back then because it was only my second European Tour win and I think my second season on Tour.

So coming back to that golf course where you had a very special win is very nice.

Q. Every time we come to Germany for golfer tournaments over the years, the crowds are enormous. How much of an impact is that when you're a home player and you have these massive crowds behind you?
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, they probably put all the towels out already at 6.30 in the morning to get a seat. It's a good support. It's a support that we as European players we have very rare. Because obviously when you play in America and you're an American guy, doesn't matter where you are, you always have the same support from your home crowds. We have it only once or twice a year. So therefore, you have to find a way to use it in a very positive way. Sometimes at the beginning of my career, you know, it added a little bit more pressure because you want to do well. Now I get used to it a little bit more and I can use it to my advantage.

Q. It's a golf course that's evolved over the years. What do you like about it now and how is it playing this week?
MARTIN KAYMER: I think this week, the winning score will be fairly low because the rough is very little. I mean, here, you can see it's a little bit higher but if you miss the fairway from the tee box, it does make a huge difference this week I think because the greens are fairly soft. Coming from the U.S. Open, that rough is pretty much nothing here.

So I prefer golf courses where par means something. I think on this golf course, you need to shoot at least 4-under par every round to have a chance on Sunday.

Q. We saw a very heartfelt tribute from you to Tiger Woods and asking people to show some respect for what he's going through at the moment. Were you aware that there would ever be the impact that it had, because it feels like it has changed the opinion of a lot of people out there.
MARTIN KAYMER: Hopefully. It was not really my intention to get that much attention about that Tweet. It was more, I find it unfair and disrespectful to the human, to the person behind it. It's not so much about Tiger Woods; that he's one of the greatest golfers, but that person has achieved things that at least right now, they are not really imaginable for us to win 14 majors. Especially the way that he won them and the impact they had on golf. You had Muhammad Ali in boxing and Tiger Woods in golf, and they brought the black people to both, and that is way underrated.

And then those guys who were talking so much, so many bad things about him, all of a sudden, probably a week ago, they want to have a picture or video with them and show it to their friends and now they jump on that bus and kick him while he's on the ground. I just find that somebody who has done what he has done, did something in his life, has a huge impact on millions of people, should get a little more respect and should be helped when he needs help.

Q. Looking forward to this week?
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, it's been always a good week for me in terms of you come home, you play in front of your hope crowd, which is very rare these days. When you're an American, you play on the PGA TOUR, you have it every week. As a European, it happens once or twice a year.

I remember in 2008, I won here with all the fans behind the 18th green waving the German flag. It was quite an emotional win and it was only my second win on The European Tour. Winning in your home country was very nice.

Q. What does this tournament mean to you and for German golf?
MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I think it's over 25 years, the BMW International Open is already on The European Tour schedule. So that's quite an amazing achievement to have that much commitment from a company, from a world-known brand as a partner. Me being a German, I'm very proud of that; that we have strong companies who are interested in sport and interested in golf.

So hopefully we can continue that and for the golf players in Germany, it's nice to come back to a very family-orientated tournament. It's a very cosy place here.

Q. Tied 35th last week. How is the game coming into this week?
MARTIN KAYMER: I look forward to playing golf at the moment. I really enjoy the way my golf is going. I feel like I gained a little bit more consistency over the last few weeks.

It actually turned out a good thing that I missed the cut at Wentworth. It has been over 14, 15 months that I missed the cut and I was quite disappointed at Wentworth. I sat down a little bit and thought a little bit about what happened, why it happened, and those two weeks off, they were very good for me to refocus again. A few things worked already fairly well at the U.S. Open, so I think I'm in good form for the summer now.

Q. We haven't been here since 2015. How is the course and are there any major changes?
MARTIN KAYMER: I think a couple tee boxes, they are a little further back but in general the golf course plays pretty much the same. The thing you is need to go low here this week. Winning score is usually around 18-, 20-under par.

So knowing this, I think it's more like a mental challenge this week that you don't think on the first tee, you need to be already 8-under par after nine holes. You have to wait for your chances, and that's usually the most difficult thing for us athletes and general sports people, the patience. But that's the only way to succeed this week.

Q. Going back to last week, fellow alumni of The Challenge Tour won the U.S. Open, like yourself. What does that mean about The Challenge Tour? How good is The Challenge Tour for players?
MARTIN KAYMER: The Challenge Tour prepares you very well for worldwide schedule because obviously they play not only in Europe; they play worldwide these days. It makes you used to traveling, being in different countries, being alone, sorting out your own thing. So as a person, you learn a lot, and obviously if you learn as a person, you become a better golfer automatically.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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