Martin Kaymer believes he’s a more complete player now than three years ago when he became World No. One.
The German, currently ranked 28th in the world, is among 16 of the world’s top-50 teeing up in this week’s European Tour flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Last fortnight, Kaymer ended a 15-month winless drought capturing the PGA Tour’s flagship Players Championship title and only his second success in the States since capturing the 2010 PGA Championship.
Victory at TPC Sawgrass lifted the 29-year old Dusseldorf-born player back inside the top-50 on the World Rankings and to eighth overall on the European Ryder Cup points table.
Martin Kaymer (GBR) speaking to the media during the press conference ahead of the BMW PGA championship, Wentworth Golf Club, Virginia Waters, London.
(Picture: Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ie)
Kaymer will tee up this week’s Euro 4.75m event as a favourite to become the 46th different winner in the 60th anniversary of the tournament.
And while Kaymer was No. 1 in the world teeing-up at Wentworth in 2011 he says he’s now a ‘more complete player’.
“Compared to when I was Number One in the world I can hit any shot I want to hit, which is important, and I don’t believe I could do that when I was No. 1 in the world or even when I won the PGA Championship”, he said.
“It was very easy for me to play golf, but then it was not satisfying.
“So now I would say I’m a more complete player.
“But it’s very important that we don’t put it in the wrong perspective now that I should play very well every week. Golf is a difficult sport and a very important work is the expectations that a lot of people have, and me as a player, I know where I can rank my expectations.”
Kaymer, who is also competing for the sixth occasion in the past seven weeks, cited the German National Football team and the expectations on the country for the team to succeed in the 2016 World Cup commencing in July in Brazil.
“With the German National team, they are going to play in the World Cup in a few weeks, and everybody says, oh, yeah, Germany should win,” he said.
“That’s a good possibility, but it doesn’t mean that we have to win or that you keep the expectations low.
“You can only get disappointed otherwise, and there’s a lot of pressure that those players have to handle. That’s what people forget sometimes. It’s not that easy.”
Kaymer is among two dozen players to be fitted this week for Ryder Cup attire including Sweden’s exciting Jonas Blixt, who is contesting the BMW PGA Championship for a first time in his career.
The joint Masters runner-up is lying 19th overall on the European Team points table and will remain in Europe to contest next week’s Nordea Masters in Malmo, Sweden before returning to the PGA Tour.
“It’s exciting getting tailored for Ryder Cup clothing and whets my appetite more to make the European Team,” he said.
