Kaymer Kick-Starts Quest For A Second BMW International Open Success.

5 years ago by Comments Off on Kaymer Kick-Starts Quest For A Second BMW International Open Success.

It has been 11-years since Martin Kaymer’s dramatic and also emotional 2008 BMW International Open success.

A then 23-year old celebrated the 20th staging of the BMW International Open becoming the first German-born winner in birding the first extra hole on the Eichenried course to the north of the Bavarian capital.

It was the second of Kaymer’s two years in 2008, and in a break-through victory year that saw Kaymer capture the first of three Abu Dhabi HSBC Championships.

Kaymer has since gone on to capture 23 professional titles including a PGA Championship and a US Open,

mer spoke about the pressures he felt in front of a partisan home crowd as he made history in Munich.

“It was a very intense week for many reasons, very emotional,” Kaymer said. “It is never easy to play in front of your own country and then being in the lead. I think I was leading by five or six shots going into the final round.

“It’s very difficult with that expectation to go into the first tee. After 11 holes, my lead was gone and then it was quite difficult sometimes to keep that momentum or to keep that belief up.

“That was something I was very proud of. In the end, I hung in and gave myself the chance to win and fortunately it worked out.

“That was an amazing feeling walking down 18 with all the German flags in the background. It was a feeling that is very difficult to describe and maybe that’s why you shouldn’t even try. It’s very special.”

And the now 34-year has quickly set his sights on a second BMW International Open and also delighting a huge home crowd with a bogey free 67 that left him just one shot off the lead midway through day one of the 2019 BMW International Open.

An elite field had gathered at Golfclub München Eichenried and two time Major Champion Kaymer took big crowds with him as he moved to five under, just one shot behind Andrea Pavan.

The Italian had a career best season in 2018, claiming a breakthrough European Tour win at the D+D Real Czech Masters and finishing 34th on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex.

He has yet to register a top ten in 2019 but an opening 66 in Munich represented his best round of the season so far.

Kaymer has four Ryder Cups on his CV and he was joined at five under by 2008 Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson.

Dane Jeff Winther was at four under, a shot clear of a group containing defending champion and World Number 24 Matt Wallace.

Kaymer’s last European Tour victory came at the 2014 U.S. Open Championship but the German is beginning to show signs of the form that made him a Race to Dubai Champion and World Number One.

The 34-year-old claimed the second of his 11 European Tour wins at this event 11 years ago and he was delighting the home crowds again on Thursday.

Starting on the back nine, he birdied the 11th, 13th, 16th and 18th but then made eight straight pars, including a couple of impressive saves.

He was never in any danger on the ninth, hitting the green at the par five in two and claiming a fifth gain of the day.

 



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