European Team winning hero, Martin Kaymer launched a stinging attack on SKY Sports Germany for their indifferent reporting of last week’s Ryder Cup.
Kaymer holed the putt on the 18th green on Sunday to ensure the gleaming gold trophy remained in European hands and defeating Steve Stricker 1up.
Martin Kaymer washes his hands of SKY Sports coverage in Germany of his efforts in the Ryder Cup. (Photo – Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ie)
However it was our website’s Bernie McGuire who specifically asked Kaymer if he was considering returning to Germany to show off the Ryder Cup.
But what Bernie and those present did not expect was Kaymer’s surprise response: “I don’t see why!”.
The now double Ryder Cup and PGA Championship winner was asked to explain.
“I’m very thankful coming from Germany and I’m very happy that I got so much support in Germany. But I was very disappointed when I watched the last two or three holes on the German TV channel, and the way the commentators were talking about it.
“There was not excitement. It was like ‘we are on the 18th green now, Martin Kaymer is standing there and it’s a very important putt. Oh yeah, it drops in, it’s very nice, great celebration’.
“The commentary was just so flat.
“And for me, it is very difficult to understand. There is something so big that is happening and some just don’t get it, and that is very sad.
“If you try your very best, if you always try to do the right thing, not only for yourself but for the country, for golf in Germany, but there’s little excitement. It’s just very difficult, and yeah, just leave it like this.”
Kaymer is only the second German behind Bernhard Langer to compete in the Ryder Cup and his remarks seemed totally out of character for the usually unflappable Dusseldorf-born golfer.
However he was further quizzed if he had not an obligation to help grow the game in Germany despite SKY’s indifferent coverage in his country.
“I just find it ridculous that one of the biggest sports events like the Ryder Cup, is covered so badly,” added Kaymer.
“And when I watched a repeat of the coverage I could not believe it. I was close to calling them and say, look, what should I do, and when are you going to get excited as you saw me being excited.
“Obviously, it make me very happy to hole the winning putt and I was very proud that golf may become a little bigger in Germany, but they (SKY) could have made so much more out of it, but they just didn’t grab it, and that’s sad.”
Kaymer can at least be assured of far better coverage when he tees up in this week’s $US5m Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and an event he captured for a first time the week after being a member of the victorious 2010 winning European Team.
