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VOLVO WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIPMay 17, 2011Martin KaymerCASARES, SPAIN STEVE TODD: Many thanks for joining us here in Spain. I know it's been a long journey for you, but it's a very impressive field here this week, you have the top three in the world, four major champions and another chance to have a go at match play. Just your thoughts coming into the week. MARTIN KAYMER: Obviously the most important thing this week is there are a lot of World Ranking points this week, that's important to me. Match play is a form that a lot can happen there. You can play a fantastic round and you can still lose. It's a different format that you have to finish 18 holes. I haven't really figured out the formula yet. I need to get some information from the European Tour office. But I think that we are going to have eight groups of three people and some will play twice a day and the other guys only once a day. So it will be very interesting and I hope that I'll be on the side that only plays once a day, would be nice. I haven't checked it. STEVE TODD: If you can reflect on your draw, you have Y.E. Yang and Noh. MARTIN KAYMER: Against Korea (laughter). I played against Noh already in Arizona, and I won I think 7 & 6, so obviously that brings up good memories. And against Y.E. Yang, the PGA Championship, the winners play against each other, so it will be interesting for sure. But what I said, match play, you can play against anybody. I can play against the No. 1 in the world or the number, what is it, the worst here, 24th; it doesn't really matter. STEVE TODD: Obviously you took a lot of confidence from your performance in Arizona. MARTIN KAYMER: I never really liked match play, but since actually since The Ryder Cup last year, I really enjoyed that, and obviously playing in Arizona, I played very well there, getting to the final gave me a lot of motivation and belief that I can play stroke play and match play. Q. Being German, but also being a French Open Champion, a reaction to France getting The Ryder Cup? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, obviously I would have preferred to have the Ryder Cup in Germany 2018, but France had a very strong bid and had a lot of support from the French government. I think most important thing is that they have a fantastic golf course. Like what I said last year in the press conference when we were talking about the Ryder Cup at the French Open, that golf course that they have there, I think it's made for The Ryder Cup. It's great for the spectators, especially the last five holes. Of course, I wish that we would have gotten it, but maybe we will try in 2022 so that would be nice, but I think France will do a fantastic job, as well. Q. Has there been a caddie change? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah. Q. Can you just talk about that and your thinking behind it? MARTIN KAYMER: Obviously Craig and me, we had a fantastic year together. He's a very good caddie. But for me, it was just time to, you know, kind of like change and move on. But obviously it was nice to work with him, obviously the success that we had the last year, and to win a major to win The Race to Dubai has been fantastic. Q. Who are you using now? MARTIN KAYMER: My brother. My brother, he will caddie for me this week, and after that, I don't know. Q. And that was a sudden decision you made there after last week? MARTIN KAYMER: No, no. We've talked about it a few times already, but last week on Sunday we had a little chat and we just decided to go our separate ways. Q. Your brother's caddie for you before, hasn't he? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, he has, and he's not a rookie anymore. He has caddie for me when I was a rookie on The European Tour, a little bit in Asia and a few times in Europe. I think it will be fun for him. Q. People will look at how you've done the last year and wonder why the change, if it seemed to be a very good team. MARTIN KAYMER: What I said. Obviously I had a fantastic year but it's time to move onto somebody else. For me, it just felt like I needed a change. It has nothing really to do with Craig. He's a fantastic guy and he's been a good caddie but for me I felt like I needed a change. Q. Would you ever consider having Fanny, who obviously is very important to you? MARTIN KAYMER: Fanny, I think the job that Fanny and me, what we are doing, is very good the way we get along in a different way, without she on my bag is good and I don't think we will really change that. Q. How many phone calls have you had already from caddies? MARTIN KAYMER: I haven't got any yet. I think nobody knows. But obviously now some people will know. (Laughter). Q. I think Fanny suggested Craig, did she not, in the first place? MARTIN KAYMER: Yes, we talked about the caddies. The first one that I had, Justin, she recommended him, and we worked together for a little bit longer than two years I think, or three years. And obviously when I split with Justin, we talked about other caddies and Craig came up to her head and my mind, as well. And it was a good thing. We got along and we still get along very well. Q. So will you be asking her for advice again? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I will talk to Johan, my manager, and Fanny about it, and you know, I don't really know who is available at the moment or who wants to caddie for me, I have no idea, and I didn't really -- I haven't really thought about it. You know, I just tried to have some fun with my brother this week and we'll see what happens at Wentworth next week, if I will find somebody. And if not, I'm sure I'm going to find somebody for the U.S. Open. Q. Do you pay your brother in the usual way? MARTIN KAYMER: He's my brother, so I think, you know, I will treat him well (smiling). Q. Do we know what his job is? What is your brother's normal job? MARTIN KAYMER: He's studying law. He's about to finish now, very, very soon. Q. In Cologne? MARTIN KAYMER: In Cologne. Q. Your only brother? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah. Q. And his name, remind me? MARTIN KAYMER: Philip. Q. What didn't you like about match play? MARTIN KAYMER: What I like about it? Q. What didn't you like? MARTIN KAYMER: Sometimes I found it a little bit unfair. You can shoot 5-under par and the other guy shoots 6-under and you lose. So you can have a fantastic day but you can lose the game. So I found that a little bit unfair. But now I've changed my mind a little. It's just a head-to-head game and you just for four or five hours, you have an enemy, that obviously I wish him good luck, but the end of the day, you want to beat him. If it requires level par, or if it requires 5-, 6-, 7-under, it is what I learned to accept that you can play good rounds and still lose. You just have to play one shot better. And that is part of the game, that you have to accept it, you can play well and still lose. That is what I think that I've learned since The Ryder Cup last year. Q. I know you're asked about the World Rankings every time you play, but with the top three in the world here and people near world No. 1, is that on your mind? MARTIN KAYMER: I think you can be very proud of it, with three Europeans up there and how close it is at the moment. Yes, of course, it's always nice to be to go out there to be No. 1, but I think as long as I'm playing consistent every week, once you win a tournament or once Lee or me wins a tournament, we are going to be No. 1. So it will be like I think for the next few weeks. And that's why -- it is a huge events here. You have a lot of World Ranking points and a great field, even some Americans came over, Ryan Moore, and Y.E. Yang, so that is nice to add some nice things to the golf tournament. But what I said earlier, for me it's fantastic to be in the position right now, to every time I play the tournament, I can be world No. 1. So it's good; it's a challenge. Q. You got into the joint lead on Saturday night I think after seven holes. What happened after that and how disappointing was that? MARTIN KAYMER: Bogeys. I hit an incredible shot, four birdies in a row and another birdie on seven, and I felt good about my game. I was two back, but then 8 and 9, had some awkward lies, couldn't make par, and then I kept it together until play was suspended again. On Sunday morning, I don't know why, but I was totally off. I was saving a lot of pars where I hit only one green in six holes, and I was on the range again and trying to make adjustments with my swing, what I've been doing for two or three weeks now. It's been a long process and sometimes it's fantastic and sometimes it doesn't work as good. But I hope I will be ready for the U.S. Open; I have three, four weeks ago to get ready with my swing. My coach is here this week to work on it. Q. How much do you know about Congressional? MARTIN KAYMER: No idea. Q. Never been there? Or Sandwich, have you been to Royal St. George's? MARTIN KAYMER: No. Q. What have you seen about Luke Donald's performance in the last year? You were up against him in Arizona. MARTIN KAYMER: I think the perfect golf player at the moment, would be a long game from Lee Westwood and a short game from Luke Donald. That would be No. 1 in the world I think. But the way he plays golf, I think he always played very consistent, but the last year, or let's say, the last six months, he has played unbelievable, and that's why he's moving up very, very slowly. It's just a matter of time that he will win currently. Q. I asked you last time you were here about your goals, and it has come up again. You mentioned last time while it was the major and being No. 1, then I said, yeah, and then afterwards, what's up then. Do you have anything in mind, what you want to achieve now, what you have in your mind? MARTIN KAYMER: I just want to win more golf tournaments, and if it comes along and I win another major, it would be fantastic. But the ultimate goal is to win the British Open one day, preferably in St. Andrews, that would be my biggest goal and my biggest dream. But I just want to -- at the moment, I'm very happy. I'm very happy that I can work on my swing very hard at the moment. At the beginning of the season, it was kind of like, you know, I just kept working a little bit here and there, and I didn't practise as much as I wanted. But now, I'm back with my coach, on the range and we are working very hard. And that is what I'm trying to do, working hard on my swing to become a better player. I see more room for improvement in my swing, and I just want to win more golf tournaments. Q. I have seen many players in the past that have been great, and then they work on their swing and change things and don't play well anymore. So when -- MARTIN KAYMER: If you have a good coach, I don't think that you have to be. I think if you commit to it, if you keep working on it, and if you believe in it, I don't see any problem. And if you know that there's some room for improvement in your swing, I want to see if I can get there, and become an even better player. I think with my coach together, I think I'm able to do that. Q. Craig came on the plane from Florida; so when did you actually tell him he wouldn't be working for you this week? MARTIN KAYMER: We talked about it after the round, straight after the round, and then we made the decision. He needed a way to get somewhere to Europe. Q. So it was his cheapest way home? MARTIN KAYMER: I guess. Q. Still going to his wedding? MARTIN KAYMER: If he gets married, one day, then I will, if I get an invitation, for sure, I will go. (Laughter). Q. Two years ago, were you fit enough for this course? MARTIN KAYMER: Oh, that was my problem with the foot, wasn't it? Oh, yeah, I can remember. I think I played twice one day and I struggled a little bit. But my fitness trainer, he was there last week in Florida, and he will come here this week again, my trainer. So he will be working with me -- but not as much as I was two years ago. Q. I tried to follow you as much as I can, I'm a fan of yours obviously, it's sometimes pretty hard when you don't have a web page -- MARTIN KAYMER: It will come. Q. So then I can see the schedule where you are. MARTIN KAYMER: I think it will take maybe -- I don't want to say dates, but it will come very soon. STEVE TODD: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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