Germany’s Martin Kaymer commences his eighth full season in the pro ranks sporting two new sponsors on his clothing and setting a New Year goal to win more ‘Big Tournaments’ in 2014.
Kaymer will tee-up this week with the SAP logo on his cap and the Mercedes-Benz emblem on his shirts, and in an event he is the only three-time former winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in the UAE capital.
However first and foremost in 2014 Kaymer is looking to win for a first time since capturing the 2012 Nedbank Challenge in South Africa and just weeks after the joy of holing the winning European Ryder Cup team putt at Medinah.
Martin Kaymer holding aloft the Falcon Trophy for a third time in 2011. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
“The goal this year is more about the big tournaments. I won a few of The European Tour events, which is always nice to win those to gain motivation and see on what level you,” he said.
“But the main goal is to put yourself as much as possible, preferably every week, into a possibility of winning the golf tournament on Sunday afternoon. And then obviously by the endof your career, comes down in my opinion, how many Majors, how many World Golf Championships events and Ryder Cups you’ve
“So that’s the main focus, the big tournaments. I would say the ultimate of golf, what we all play for, what we prepare for already now, thinking about Augusta, how you’re going to set up your schedule; so those things, they are very important, which doesn’t mean that the other tournaments are not important.
“But it’s more like a step‑by‑step thing towards the main attraction of the whole year. You know, you only have four chances. So that’s the main thing.”
Kaymer revealed also he had spent Christmas, albeit for three days, and for a first occasion in seven years.
“I went home to Germany for Christmas, since I’ve been home for seven years, and so it was a little bit of a ‑‑ going back and forth always. I was in America just on holiday with some friends, and then I came back on the 23rd of December back to Germany and then stayed there for three days and then went back to Phoenix,” he said.
“It was a little bit ‑‑ I mean, I really wanted to be home this year, but it was not ideal, because, you know, it takes a lot of energy. Usually when you have time off, you don’t want to go through jet‑lags, but I did it to myself, you know, because I went to America before I was in Germany.”
Kaymer is no stranger finding the short route around the National Course having won the opening event on the Tour’s ‘Desert Swing’ three times since the inaugural tournament in 2006 with victories in 2008 and then 2010 and 2011.
Kaymer’s third win in 2011 was by eight shots over Rory McIlroy and saw the German displace Tiger Woods as then World No. 2.
