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THE BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 7, 2010

Martin Kaymer

LUSS, SCOTLAND

SCOTT CROCKETT: Martin thanks always for joining us, and welcome back to The Barclays Scottish Open. We all know what a special event it was for you last year, just reflect on that victory; it was a great week for you, wasn't it, last year.
MARTIN KAYMER: I think it lasted two weeks in a row; it was very special. Obviously one of the biggest tournaments we have on The European Tour and a strong field.
Last year there were a few Americans here already who played that event, and so it gave me big-time motivation to go into the British Open and the same this year. I played well in it France and could not really finish it off on the last day.
And if I played similar than last year, this golf course, I think I can -- I will have the same feelings or similar feelings to last year and obviously that felt pretty good.
SCOTT CROCKETT: A lot of people have the common perception that if you go and win two weeks in a row, you're tired and all that stuff, and you proved that wrong last year.
MARTIN KAYMER: I don't understand, when you won a tournament you're playing well so I really don't see a reason why you shouldn't play the next week. It's just important that you rest on Monday, Tuesday. Of course you have to play the Pro-Am on Wednesday. Otherwise it would be even better to rest three days in a row. But if you rest two days, Monday, Tuesday, why not? Obviously you're playing well, so you should use that chance to get on a run and you should use that to make some points, too.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Before this starts, a big night for your nation. Thanks are for beating England by the way, that was very good of you. We all really enjoyed that.
MARTIN KAYMER: I have a lot of friends this week.
SCOTT CROCKETT: You'll be very popular this week.
MARTIN KAYMER: A few caddies came up to me that were on my side and our side this evening. I think we'll have a good chance for sure. Unfortunately our midfielder is missing but I have a good bet going on with Alvaro, so we are going to watch it together.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Will you have the box of Kleenex and hankies ready for Alvaro?
MARTIN KAYMER: Some diapers.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Thanks for that. Take perhaps maybe some golf questions.

Q. This week could be hugely significant in terms of qualification for The Ryder Cup. Is that much in your mind at the moment?
MARTIN KAYMER: Well, The Ryder Cup in my mind since my win in Abu Dhabi. I was practising a lot in March and April to get ready for this stretch of tournaments that we have now, started with the U.S. Open until the PGA Championship. So I thought this was a big week for us, but last week was the same, you know, big week, too.
To play well here, I think my chances, I think they are very well, that I can play well again. So I just have to get a little bit sharper on the greens and then I think I can be in contention again.
But it's a big week for everybody. You can see how tight it is in the ranking. They are still -- I think you see the Europeans are ranking -- or the European way to qualify, without the World Rankings, there are I think seven or eight players that can easily get in The Ryder Cup if they play well the next two weeks. It's tight, but you can see that European golf is getting better and better. I just see it as a big chance to win The Ryder Cup.

Q. What do you have to do to stop yourself thinking ahead when you're playing here, A, to The Ryder Cup, and B, of course, to The Open?
MARTIN KAYMER: I think I shouldn't stop myself --

Q. By your playing?
MARTIN KAYMER: Well, yes, I see it as a bit more motivation. Last week, going into the final round, I had not the perfect start on Sunday, and then I just thought, you know, I was thinking of The Ryder Cup, and then all of a sudden, got a little bit more excited, a little bit more motivated, you push yourself a little bit, and all of a sudden I made a few birdies and all of the sudden I was up in the lead again, tied for the lead. I just take it as an advantage.

Q. Nick Faldo took you to Kentucky and you were inside the ropes; how valuable is that going to be if you make the team? And you also witnessed a European Team that lost. Does that make you more determined not to suffer that same experience?
MARTIN KAYMER: It was a great experience for me to go there and I learned a lot about The Ryder Cup. I thought it was only about golf but it was not only about golf.
For example, I think on Wednesday or Thursday was when Nick Faldo, he took a few players, they were playing a practise round and on the second hole, he said, well, let's go back to the first fairway again because we have a photo appointment. There's so much going on, and I never thought that would happen because you're playing in the biggest tournament and you kind of think everything goes your way, and of course media, but to a certain time but it didn't really matter when. So it was not always about golf.
And I think I'm better prepared now. I didn't know that before. And just to be there, I think Colin Montgomerie, I hope that he's going to do the same thing that Nick Faldo did and invite two or three upcoming stars or European players to come to Wales, because it helped me a lot. So I'm not only thinking about The Ryder Cup this year, but two years ago, it gave me a lot of motivation that I really want to be there one day.
So I was practising more. Yeah, it gave me a lot of motivation.

Q. Inaudible.
MARTIN KAYMER: Well, you have to be honest with yourself and realistic. The Americans, they were just way better in short game than the Europeans were. I think that they deserved it that they won The Ryder Cup. But obviously when you're playing your own continent, what we do this year, you don't want to lose, and I think we have a very good team this year, one of the strongest, and I don't want to put The European Team under pressure, but I think we kind of like should win The Ryder Cup this year.

Q. We spoke to Graeme McDowell earlier and he was very complimentary about the state of the greens; obviously a lot of problems with the greens due to the hard winter. Have you had a chance to look at the course?
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I played in the morning in the Pro-Am and I think they changed a few greens, three or four of the greens. I can see that they become very bumpy in the afternoon, I can see that. But I mean, there's not a lot to do. That's how it is. Just have to play a good round when you play early and go from there.

Q. How much is the success of last year, how much will that hold you in good stead for this year? Will that help you this time around?
MARTIN KAYMER: For sure. It's always nice going into a tournament that you have won before. I've had that feeling four times so far, I won in Abu Dhabi, Munich, France, Loch Lomond.
So it's nice to go back to a golf course that you know that you feel comfortable there. You know what happened when you won. You know what kind of important shots you made. It was quite nice today walking down 18 and knowing -- or still having in my mind what happened on Sunday last year.
No, I can remember what kind of shot I hit into the green, I could still see myself holing the shots on the greens, it was quite cool.

Q. You have played with Monty the first two rounds, but do you feel Rhys Davies will feel under pressure trying to impress Monty?
MARTIN KAYMER: I don't really know Rhys Davies, but I think every player who is playing with Montgomerie this year, it's a little different feeling. You want to behave a little better. But I think Colin is a very nice guy and very -- a gentleman. We will enjoy ourselves, and Rhys Davies, he proved that he's a very good player when he plays in his own country. And there was obviously a lot of pressure on him going into the final day and I think that he proved that he can play good golf. It's Montgomerie's choice if he picks him or not.
SCOTT CROCKETT: Martin, enjoy the football tonight. Good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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