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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPMay 10, 2014Martin KaymerPONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA KELLY BARNES: Please welcome Martin Kaymer to the interview room. You're 12‑under for the week, first time you've had a share of the 54‑hole lead at a PGA TOUR event. Just talk about your round today and going into tomorrow with the lead. MARTIN KAYMER: I didn't realize it was the first time, okay. You know, I look forward to tomorrow. It's going to be a good day whatever it takes or whatever will happen. You know, Jordan, he played‑‑ he's playing very good golf, very nice guy, very mature for his age, I think, so we had some good chats, even though obviously we want to‑‑ both of us want to win tomorrow. But I think it will be a very fair and very good game. It was difficult to play today. It felt a bit like a Ryder Cup match, but we didn't play in Europe, obviously. But it was a good day. Q. There was a lot of comments about the wind and the conditions being so much tougher today and some comparisons to U.S. Open type conditions. Can you talk about the wind and the effect it had on you guys? MARTIN KAYMER: I think the whole combination, I think it was a bit more windy, and definitely more gusty, and they put the pins in tough positions, so overall the greens were a little bit firmer, so overall it was probably the toughest day today, and therefore anything around par was a good score. I don't know how the conditions were this morning, but it seemed like the scoring was a little bit better. So I think Jordan and me, we kept it very well together and gave us a chance for tomorrow. Q. You said it felt like a Ryder Cup, you mean just because of the crowds rooting for Jordan, or what did you mean by that? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah. There were a few Germans out there, which was very nice. It's always tough. I had the same experience when I was in the playoff against Bubba at the PGA. When you're trying to win a big tournament, usually the big tournaments, you play them in America, so I'm always a foreigner, it's a good challenge. It's another challenge of that day. It's not easy, but I know what's going to happen. I know what I can expect, and therefore it's okay. Q. Seemed like you might be able to get a read from Jordan's putt at 18, but could you just talk about how yours stayed out? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I just didn't hit a good putt. I pulled my putt and therefore it went left. He went inside left and hit a good putt, made it, and I just pulled it. But he gave me a good read, yeah. Q. There's an old saying, nice guys finish last. I don't know if that translates in German or not, but do you feel like you or any golfer really needs to have a mentality of sort of being intimidating going into the final round and not being as nice? MARTIN KAYMER: Well, you can be nice but still try to win and be‑‑ it's a sport that we play and it's a game that we play, and it's not only about Jordan and me tomorrow. There are a few other guys that can shoot low scores. I think Sergio, he has won here before, so obviously he knows how it feels being in contention on Sunday. But I think nice guys, they can win tournaments, too. I think there's nothing really to do with it. I think at the end of the day it comes down to if you really play with your heart and with a passion and really want to win. I think it happens a lot of times when you play the last four or five holes and you are all square with two or three other guys, it really comes down to the person who really, really wants it. Obviously things can happen here and there, but it really comes down to yourself in the end. A nice guy can win. Q. What was it like watching Jordan get up‑and‑down over and over again, saving par? MARTIN KAYMER: Well, he's just very good in short game and he hit some very good chips and pitches and some very important putts to keep his round going. I mean, I don't know what you want me to answer, but he's just good in short game. Q. What about your bunker play? You hit some really good bunker shots today. MARTIN KAYMER: I was happy the way it worked out. A couple‑‑ actually they were not that difficult, those bunker shots. They were little uphill lie into the wind to a short flag, which is not that difficult, but still, you have to pull it off and make the putt then. But in that way it really kept my round going. I made that birdie on 9 and a good up‑and‑down on 12, when you're standing on the fairway thinking about 3 and then you fight for 4. Overall I'm happy the way I played golf. Q. You've won a major and you clinched the Ryder Cup, but right now there might be more people outside talking to Jordan's caddie than are sitting in this room right now. Does that make you think anything, any thoughts on that? MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I think it's nice for me. It's a bit more quiet. You know, he's one of the best players out here right now, so I think he deserves at much attention as possible because he's a young player, very mature, and I hope a long career ahead of him. And for me if there's less attention on me right now, I'll take it. There's always a little bit more distracting when so many people talk to you and want something from you. You can talk to his caddie, his coach. It's all good. Q. I know you've spoken about it before, but how important was clinching the Ryder Cup to give you confidence and do you feel like you'd be here today in this position if you hadn't been in that position? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, Ryder Cup is very special. It's very difficult to compare. A lot of people ask me what was more important to you or what was more exciting, winning the Ryder Cup or winning the PGA. You can't really compare those things. But long‑term for your career, just being part of it, you realize afterwards how much pressure there really is playing the Ryder Cup, and you can use it a lot for the next few tournaments. As a person you grow a lot and you get to know yourself a lot better. So all those things when you add them up, I'm sure it will help me one way or the other tomorrow. It's tough to put into words, but it's very, very important that I made that experience. Q. When you're thinking about a shot in your head, what language are you using? MARTIN KAYMER: I mean, it's tough. I guess both. I never noticed. Sometimes I count in English, sometimes in German. But I would say in English because then I talk to my caddie and he doesn't have a clue about German. I mean, I don't know. I believe both. Q. What about when you dream? What language? MARTIN KAYMER: It's both. I think I realize that my English became a little bit better after I dreamt or started dreaming in English. It was strange. You realize, where is that coming from. Q. Jordan hadn't made a bogey through 54 holes. Just how impressive is that, especially as the conditions got today? MARTIN KAYMER: Like we said earlier, I know he made some really good up‑and‑downs. Obviously I didn't play with him the first two days, but there were a couple today where you think it's a tough one to save par, and he always pulled it off. If it wasn't a brilliant chip, it was a good putt. So it's very tough to beat those guys that don't make mistakes, so therefore you have to wait for your chances. You really have to go out there, play your game, make some birdies. If you make a bogey here and there, it's okay, but you've got to stay aggressive and just play your game. Seems like he doesn't make many mistakes. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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