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ALSTOM OPEN DE FRANCEJuly 4, 2012Martin KaymerPARIS, FRANCE STEVE TODD: Martin, welcome back to Le Golf National. You've got a pretty impressive record here, four Top‑10s in five appearances, and winner a few years ago. It's obviously a place that you like and play well. MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I think to be honest with you, I said it many times already in the past, I think that's the best golf course we play all year, because it's just very difficult, and it requires a lot of different golf shots, especially when it's windy. It makes it even more interesting, especially the last four holes, when it comes down to Sunday when you have a chance to win when you are only two or three shots behind. Even when you are two or three shots behind, it's not over, because they are so difficult, the last four holes. I think it's very exciting and it's fun to play because you have to play good golf. You have to strike is very well and you have to hit fairways. I think it requires every part of your game in that particular week, which is, I think, makes the golf course a great golf course; it's challenging, and that's why I believe it's one of the best courses we play all year. STEVE TODD: Just on your own game coming in, disappointing to miss the cut in Germany but is there anything you've particularly been working on coming into this week? MARTIN KAYMER: The reason why I missed the cut in Germany, it was not so much because I played bad golf. I played well at the U.S. Open the week before, and my short game was good. It's just too much, and like I always say, when you go, you should do more media when you are in Germany, but then I don't play as good. If I should play good, I have to do less media, so what should I do. I can't do both, it's not possible. You can see that in 2010, I missed the cut and I did a lot of stuff. I didn't really‑‑ I couldn't really relax. And last year, I went to Munich, I didn't do a lot of media, but at least I played well. This year, I did the opposite again, because it was in my hometown, I did a lot for the tournament, for the kids, for the spectators there, but I couldn't prepare properly. First time I was on the putting green was on Thursday morning before I played. So, it was too much. So that was not really the reason why I missed the cut. It was just one of those weeks where you can't really come down and focus on the main thing. STEVE TODD: At the U.S. Open, you felt like the game is going in the right direction? MARTIN KAYMER: It was fun to play. The U.S. Open, I felt like it was going well, especially on that Saturday. I played really well. I think the last hole I played that well was two years ago. I felt so comfortable with my swing, so in control, ball flight. It was very enjoyable to play. So that's why I was really looking forward to play in Cologne because my game was sharp and I was ready to go. But I had some problems with sleeping that week, and then all of the appointments that I had to do, it was a little bit much that week. So that's why it's nice to be here now in France. I like the golf course a lot. I feel like I play solid golf, and it's just a matter of putting myself in contention on Sunday. STEVE TODD: The courses that you've done well in the past, you tend to keep on doing well, like in Abu Dhabi, this course; do you come back to a place and memories click in and you think, I can do well this week? MARTIN KAYMER: Memories is one thing, but it's more the whole thing. The golf course is nice. Obviously that's the main part; but how the people run the tournament, in what hotel are you staying, the food, the people who are here, the spectators, that makes it, the whole thing, the combination, makes you feel comfortable and that's what I have in Abu Dhabi, what I have here in France. It's just a great tournament overall, and that makes me feel calm and you can really enjoy those weeks. Q. Over the years you've been quite pleased with your game; are you taking a look at the time for the results or do you get frustrated to try to force a victory? MARTIN KAYMER: I don't really get frustrated. The word is, yeah, I need a lot of patience this year. But on the other hand, I'm not that surprised that I have not won this year, because I didn't really have proper time to practise. At the beginning of the year, March, April‑‑ I would say February, March, April, I had a lot of time off and I could practise fairly well, and I prepared well for those tournaments, for the Masters, for the World Golf Championship events. But then after that, after the Masters, I was travelling a lot. I did a lot of stuff off the golf course so I didn't really have time to practise. I come to tournaments at the moment and I just want to practise. It has to be the other way around; that when I'm not playing tournaments, I should have enough time to practise and to prepare properly. And I just didn't have that time, because I may be didn't organise my off‑weeks as good as I thought, which is fine, which is another learning process I know that I have to do different next year or for the second half of the year. But at the moment, you know, I feel fine. I'm a little tired obviously from all of the last few weeks. But the next six weeks are very important, and as I said, I did a good process and I'm practising more now and I have more time and I cancelled a lot of things in the next few weeks so that I can prepare and practise and have more time for myself, because that's the reason why I play golf, I want to play well. I'm not a golf professional to be, as I say, to run around and do interviews here, photo shoots here. I want to play good golf, and that is the reason why people want to do those things with me. That is more important to me at the moment, and especially the next six weeks. Q. The organisers of this tournament are making efforts to make the top American players to come and play here, and as you know a lot of American players, did you have a chance to talk to some of them about this tournament, this golf course? Did some of them ask you about it? MARTIN KAYMER: I think when we play, especially the beginning of the season when we play in America, I asked the guys, will you come over before the British Open to play in Europe, and most of the guys, they come over for Scotland, for The Scottish Open. But I always tell them, you can have two weeks of links golf before you play, the Open, because the golf course doesn't really play like a normal golf course in Europe. It's more like a links‑style. So that's why I always play, because it's a fantastic preparation for the British Open. And then you have The Scottish Open, which is also good. So obviously every player has a different schedule. I don't know how many tournaments these guys I talked to play before The French Open, if it makes sense for them to come over here before or if they play after, but if they ask me, that's what I said, those two weeks before the open, I think it's a fantastic preparation. Q. When you won the tournament a few years ago, you didn't jump in the water. What is your opinion about Thomas Levet's accident last year? MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I mean, on the funny side, that's the way he is, a little crazy, a little‑‑ that's his character, very nice, smart, funny, entertaining guy. Obviously it was entertaining for us. I just felt a little bad for him that he couldn't come to the tournaments in America after that. There was a big tournament in Akron, Ohio, and then the PGA Championship. Everybody obviously thought, my goodness, why do you do that. But it's just something‑‑ it was very unlucky. I think he doesn't do it again. STEVE TODD: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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