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VOLVO WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

May 21, 2011

Martin Kaymer

CASARES, SPAIN

STEVE TODD: Martin, thanks for joining us. It's been a long, hot day out there and many holes of golf. This morning, you weren't overly happy with your game, but you got through and this afternoon looked a bit better out there.
MARTIN KAYMER: This morning when I played against SÃ¸ren, we both didn't play great golf but fortunately I played a little bit better to stay in the tournament. But this afternoon was a fantastic match. It was a lot of fun, probably the best match I've had so far here this week.
I played against Alvaro, a very good friend of mine. We know each other for I think ten years now, and there was a lot of support. Not only for him, but on my side, as well. The spectators were very fair, and what I said, we played quality golf. It was all about birdies, and it was actually really, really fun to play.
STEVE TODD: The eagle on 8, how much did that help get the confidence going?
MARTIN KAYMER: He was really unlucky today to be honest. On 8 he hit a fantastic drive and would have had an iron to the green but he hit a cart or buggy and it went into the bush. I hit it close, got a little lucky with the bounce. So that was just a hole that he gave me. It was not really an eagle, but obviously two fantastic shots.
Then the bogey on 9, that was the only bogey I made today. That was just a little pull with a wedge. I wanted to stay aggressive. I pulled it a little bit and made bogey there, but that's what you have to do in match play.
STEVE TODD: And confident going into tomorrow?
MARTIN KAYMER: It was nice that I played well in the afternoon and was good in the morning. The other way around, wouldn't be so nice for tomorrow.
Obviously the way I played the last nine holes was fantastic, and there were a lot of quality golf shots. I'm very happy with my putts, and it doesn't really matter if I play against Charl or against Luke tomorrow. They are both tough to beat. I played Luke already a few months ago, and he doesn't make any mistakes. Either player will be tough to beat.

Q. The cart, was it in the middle of the fairway?
MARTIN KAYMER: The cart, it was going over the bushes and I think the cart was on the path. It was just so unlucky.
You know, obviously the guy who drove, he left the cart there, but he didn't do it on purpose. He didn't know that I would go so far right. Obviously he plays different golf than we do, and takes different lines, but it was just very unlucky.

Q. I know you don't like talking about this world No. 1 business, but if Luke does get through, he's going to take --
MARTIN KAYMER: I do (laughs).

Q. Oh, do you, okay. It's going to be a possible shootout between and you Luke tomorrow, and it has connotations for the world No. 1 spot.
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I think for both of us. I was No. 1 already, and he hasn't, but both of us, it would be great again. It would be nice, especially with my family here, with my coach, my trainer, to become the No. 1 this weekend would be unbelievable. It would be a great feeling.
On the other hand, Luke, he really deserves it, as well. The way he's playing golf at the moment, over the last year, is fantastic. I think we will just see, see what happens.

Q. Based on the match you had with him in the final in Tucson, did you take away anything that you thought, well, if I come up against him again --
MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I know that he doesn't make any mistakes. I think I can compare it to the round against Alvaro; you have to make birdies in order to win holes.
This morning, I won a hole with a bogey, and I won a few with pars, and that will not happen tomorrow if I play against Luke. And what I said, you know, he doesn't make any mistakes. He's very steady. I just didn't play -- I just didn't play very well when I played against him in Arizona.
If I would have played the way I played the other matches, then I probably would have had a good chance to win. But you know, I'm not changing anything if I were to play against him tomorrow.

Q. In Arizona though, you were in, anyway, because it didn't matter, you were going to No. 1 anyway.
MARTIN KAYMER: No, I still wanted to win the golf tournament. It was a huge event, the World Golf Championships event, and that is definitely on my list to win one of those one day.
But obviously if you become the No. 1 in the world, you're quite happy. You know, it's a little bit overwhelming.
But it was not that difficult to motivate myself on Sunday, but it was a huge match, and it would have been even better to win that golf tournament and have a little of a gap between me and the second.

Q. When you became No. 1, your dad flew out and surprised you to congratulate you?
MARTIN KAYMER: He's here.

Q. He's here this week?
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, obviously you saw my brother is caddying and my dad is here, and my trainer, my coach. So everybody's here. It would be nice to do it again.

Q. Does that add more pressure or do you enjoy performing for them?
MARTIN KAYMER: No, to be honest, it's completely relaxed. We have dinner in the house every night together. My dad is trying to cook. (Laughter) it's really fun, it's not pressure at all.

Q. How has your brother been doing on the caddying?
MARTIN KAYMER: I feel for him, if he has to go 18 holes or 36 holes tomorrow again. But he was on the treadmill last night, so he should be fine.

Q. And do you have a replacement yet in mind?
MARTIN KAYMER: A caddie? No. Obviously I split up with Craig Sunday night and when I came here, it was Monday -- yeah, Monday night and I was more focusing on the golf tournament. I will have two weeks off after Wentworth, and then I will take care of that. But my brother will caddie for me next week.

Q. He's also doing next week?
MARTIN KAYMER: And then we'll have two weeks before the U.S. Open again. And then I think, you know, my manager, he has a few phone calls already, texts from caddies. So I think we are going to find a solution to the U.S. Open.

Q. So it's a vote of confidence in your brother that he's done a good enough job to caddie next week.
MARTIN KAYMER: We counted together, he caddied for me 12 times already since I'm on Tour, and for me, it's just fun. He knows my game and obviously I know my yardages and all those things.
So I basically do all those things by myself, but sometimes if I'm not sure with some putts, how to putt a break, he can help me a little bit. But it's just more the fun factor that's great to have him.
STEVE TODD: Thank you.

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