Red-hot crowd favourite and reigning U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer struggled on the greens in his return to competition on day one of the BMW International in Germany.
Kaymer had 31 putts in a one under par 71 to be trailing five shots from the lead in ideal scoring condition on the Jack Nicklaus designed Gut Larcenhof course near Cologne.
Four players – Denmark’s Anders Hansen, Frenchman Gary Stal and the England pair of Andy Sullivan and Graeme Storm – share the clubhouse lead with six under par 66s
In contrast to Kaymer, Hansen headed the leading four with just 26 putts in his bogey-free round of six birdies as the 43-year old Dane looks to end a five-year winless drought to capture a fourth European Tour success.
Hansen missed the early part of the year due to a wrist injury and this week is only his ninth event however with a fifth in the Volvo China Open and runner-up a week later in Singapore he’s currently 59th on the Race to Dubai money list.
Huge crowds turned out to support the nearby Dusseldorf-born Kaymer not only in his first appearance in Germany in a year but his first tournament since his stunning eight-shot success at Pinehurst.
Also there’s no mistaking the star of this week’s event with organisers erecting a huge billboard of Kaymer holding the gleaming U.S. Open trophy at the main entrance to the club.
Kaymer was greeted and congratulated after his round by European Tour CEO George O’Grady however Kaymer gave his followers little to cheer about.
“It was a tough day for me on the greens,” he said.
“It was the best conditions we could get here, but I didn’t make too many putts, especially over my last five holes, so it was worst I can do and unfortunately I just couldn’t make the putts coming in.
“But then the crowd support was fantastic and I was a little surprised how many people were here at 7.30 in the morning when we teed off, so tomorrow afternoon when I am out, it’s going to be full.
“And coming back home the expectations from a lot of people, there are so many people that come out and expect you to play well and they expect you to play at least as good as two weeks ago.
“That’s the way Germans are. But you have to lower your expectations and that makes it quite difficult.
“But then it’s nice to be back playing here. But then at the same time is has been quite exhausting as there’s been a lot to do.”
Finland’s Mikko Ilonen, who captured last week’s Irish Open and who stated he drew inspiration from Kaymer’s US Open triumph, is already well place in shooting a four under par 68.
“It’s been great to catch-up with Martin as he had been texting me all last week, and also it’s the first time I’ve seen him since his US Open victory so we’ve been able to have a good conversation,” said Ilonen.
