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ABU DHABI GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPJanuary 18, 2008Martin KaymerABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SCOTT CROCKETT: Thanks, as always, for coming in and joining us today. You were pretty pleased yesterday with a 66, and I daresay you're even more pleased today with a 65. What a fantastic performance; you must be delighted. MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I'm really, really satisfied with this round. Yesterday I was satisfied, as well, but today was amazing. I made a lot of putts. Yeah, I mean, I was playing actually a little bit not as good as yesterday, but my putting was better. On those greens, it's tough to make long putts, but I made a couple today and that's why I played very good today I think. SCOTT CROCKETT: I think I heard you say to David on the SKY Television you didn't feel relaxed yesterday, first round of the year, but today more relaxed and that showed, as well. MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, yesterday I was really, really nervous on the first tee but today I was totally different. I was relaxed and started with a birdie today which was very nice. Yeah, it was different than yesterday. SCOTT CROCKETT: Were you looking at the scoreboard? Could you see how far ahead you were getting? MARTIN KAYMER: I was looking at the scoreboard the first nine, and then talking to my caddie, I said, "I think we are not too bad right now." Yeah, that's fine, but I was still a couple of holes left saw, yeah, okay and didn't look at the scoreboard on the last nine because I didn't want to know. Just tried to keep it going and make more birdies. But I know right now there are still some guys out there. Stenson, he's still playing, he still has 18 holes left. SCOTT CROCKETT: "Not too bad"; I think you might have won the understatement of the day. We'll take some questions. Q. Why do you think this course suits your game? MARTIN KAYMER: I don't know, I think -- I said it yesterday, really my driving is really good. The accuracy is quite good and that's very important to be on the fairway in this course because the rough is so thick. I was a couple of times today in the rough, and then I noticed how tough it is to get out of there. Yesterday, I had only one shot out of the rough and it was on the eighth and so from 60 yards, I couldn't reach the green. I think that this is a big event if you are straight from off the tee. Q. Being so far in front, were you tempted to ease back at all? MARTIN KAYMER: I just tried to keep it going like yesterday. My driving was not as good as yesterday but it was still okay. My bad shots were still in a good position that I can go for the flag. But, I don't know, we'll see how I'm driving tomorrow. Q. Are these your best consecutive two rounds of golf? MARTIN KAYMER: I think I played 59 and 62, two rounds, that was better I think. But on the EPD Tour, I just turned pro and then I played these two rounds. But it was a totally different golf course. This is a golf course from The European Tour and that makes it a big difference. I mean, I was really satisfied with a 61 in Portugal as well. I thought that was an amazing round for me because I know how low I can shoot. I know that I can shoot like 12- or 13-under for a 59 and that gives me just a nice feeling and a lot of confidence on the course knowing that I can go for the flag at any time. Q. Will it be a battle against yourself over the weekend, or your opponents? MARTIN KAYMER: I don't know, twice I had the lead but I was always a tied lead. Right now I hope I stay in the lead. I don't know how the other guys are doing out there, but probably I have to stay calm to -- I think I have to fight a little bit against myself. I've never been in this position, so I will see how it is and I hope I can stay in this position on Sunday as well. We'll see. Q. Will you attack tomorrow or play more conservatively? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I'll stick to my game plan, definitely. I try to. I try not to look at it but sometimes you have to look at it, but you see the big board there and you see okay my name is up there. It's nice to see but I hope I don't see the numbers tomorrow. SCOTT CROCKETT: They are pretty hard to avoid, the leaderboards, aren't they. Q. Given how well you're playing, are you surprised to see a few of the big names struggling? MARTIN KAYMER: I think a big advantage was today that I played in the morning. There was no wind the first ten and 11 holes. But my irons are really, really good now. My ball-striking with the irons is pretty good. My putting is better than last year, and the driving is pretty good, as well. So I don't have any complaints so far. But probably I will -- I mean, I made a couple stupid chips today. Like on 18, as well. There's obviously a nice birdie chance and I have to work on my chipping a little bit, but in general I'm really, really satisfied with my irons and woods. Q. The way you play golf, does that represent how you are, are you as controlled and calm when you're off the golf course? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I think. Actually yesterday I was asked this kind of question by other people and I think I'm this kind of person on the golf course, off the golf course. I try to be always calm, you know, like on the same level. I mean, I'm not freaking out like there are a few guys on the Tour they are special but still nice, strange but still nice people but I'm more like -- I try to be more like the Ernie Els type. Q. Where did you score your 59 MARTIN KAYMER: It's Habsburg. The EPD tour, the European Professional development. SCOTT CROCKETT: It's a level below the Challenge Tour. MARTIN KAYMER: I was 21. It was 2006, so 21, yeah. Q. Who do you think your challengers will be? MARTIN KAYMER: I think yesterday I was talking to my parents and they said just try to keep it going. Don't think about any other people what they are writing about you. Don't think about your scoring. Just look at it as golf. But Henrik is obviously a really, really good player and he can easily play 7- or 8-under on this course like I did today. So you just have to wait I think. Q. Your parents, do they play golf? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, both of them yeah. Q. What's their handicap? MARTIN KAYMER: Father has four, mother is 16 and my brother plus two. Q. Your father, what does he do for a living? MARTIN KAYMER: I mean, I don't want to say anything about this because it's obviously just about me. Q. Is your brother an aspiring player? MARTIN KAYMER: No, he's studying. He came out a couple times to caddie for me but he's in Germany studying. Q. Can you remember what you did on the final green for your 59? MARTIN KAYMER: For sure I can. I made so many birdies, an eagle and the 18th, I didn't realise I had a putt for 59. I was so focused, you know, I was in a little -- some people say in a little bubble, probably I have to use the word but I don't really like it -- yeah, I was really, really focused and I was never really thinking about my score and I had this five or six metre putt for birdie and there were a lot of people around the greens and they were so excited if I made it. So I said just let it roll in and you have a good round. And did dropped it was an amazing feeling and these guys they are on the green freaking out, I didn't realise it was 59, I realised two days later. It was an amazing feeling. I think it was a great experience. Q. Where was this course? MARTIN KAYMER: Where? I can't tell you. I have no -- it's in Germany but I don't know which part of Germany. I think close to Stuttgart. Q. Any other sportsmen you admire? MARTIN KAYMER: I think there are a couple like Michael Jordan. He obviously liked it. Guys like Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Michael Schumacher, Tiger Woods, these are all the best players and it's nice to look up there and see how they got up there, you know, to this kind of level where they are playing now. Last time I was reading an interview from Tiger Woods and he said the last eight tournaments that I played, he won these, and if you keep this in mind, this is so impressive. It's not like EPD tour or Nationwide Tour, this is like the US PGA Tour, they are the best players and if you win eight tournaments in a row, it's unbelievable. That's very impressive. Q. It is a bit strange you don't want to speak about your family, it's not like they're in the Mafia or anything!? MARTIN KAYMER: No, definitely not. My whole family is just a normal family, it's nothing special. Q. Which football team do you support? MARTIN KAYMER: Actually Düsseldorf because I'm from Düsseldorf and I think they are in the second or third division right now. It always fun to go to Cologne, because there is a nice atmosphere in the stadium, so I try to go there a couple of times a year. Q. Why are there not so many professionals on Tour from Germany as there are from say Sweden? MARTIN KAYMER: I don't know, actually there should be or there are the same number of good players in Germany as in Sweden or France or Spain. I think it's just the attitude from a couple people. I think German Golf Federation, they are doing a lot for the Amateurs, but if you are turning pro, then it's like, I mean, they are planning everything for you when you are on the national team and after that, if you are turning pro, there is no supporting anymore, and that could be a reason. But the main reason, always it depends on the players, if they have the will to go out there. If they are focused enough and they are motivated and all this stuff. Q. I see you don't have a sponsorship on your cap? MARTIN KAYMER: No, not yet. Q. You're looking? MARTIN KAYMER: Of course. I have a manager since November. It's Johann Elliot from Sportyard in Sweden and he's trying to fix some sponsors now to get some sponsors for me but I don't want to have too many, you know. Q. You're with Lacoste? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, since two years now. Q. How many putts today? MARTIN KAYMER: Yesterday I had 29 and today probably a little less, 26 or 27. I'm not really sure. SCOTT CROCKETT: You want to go through your card? You started at the first today. What did you do at the first? MARTIN KAYMER: Hit it from like 90 metres to two metres close and made the putt. SCOTT CROCKETT: Birdied 3. MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, made a long putt from receive seven eight metres. SCOTT CROCKETT: What happened at 6 your only bogey of the day. MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, that was one of my worst chips ever. I didn't go out to the green. I had to chip again. 7 was 5-iron and it was really good, close to the hole yeah. 8 was the par 5. I tried to go for the green and just made a chip put there. 10, I hit it from 80 metres to 1 1/2 meets close. 12, hit a strong 7-iron, six, seven metres on the right side of the hole. 13, I pulled my 8-iron, actually not the best shot but then made an eight, nine metres putt. 17, I hit a 6-iron to the green and it was a little slow putt from five metres. SCOTT CROCKETT: You said you had a chance at the last. You were short on two, did you pitch or put. MARTIN KAYMER: I was in the middle of the fairway, I had 260 metres left to the flag and I told my cod die I wanted to go for him because I wanted to have another birdie and I hit driver just a little short of the green but a really good position to make birdie, just a little lob shot over the little ridge but left it short and missed the putt. Q. Would you still play the pitch at the last the same way if you had it again? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, definitely. Sometimes over here the fairways, even when you're on the fairway, you play against the grass, so that makes it difficult for short pitches. You can hit them fat very easily. Q. How often would you use a driver from the fairway? MARTIN KAYMER: Actually for me it's not a big difference if I hit a 3-wood or driver because my father when he was young, he never gave me tees. He never gave me tees. He said, "You can hit it from the fairway." I said, "Yeah, but all the other guys they it get tees why don't I get tees." He said, "Yeah, it's a big advantage for you when you're playing tournaments then you feel definitely better from the fairway." So that's why I got used to it to play from the fairway. SCOTT CROCKETT: Martin, thanks for that. Well done. End of FastScripts |
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