Martin Kaymer revealed he has been inspired by the golf movie ‘The Legend of Bagger Vance’ as he seeks to capture the 2014 U.S. Open title.
The Legend of Bagger Vance was released in 2000 starring Will Smith as Bagger Vance, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron and with the film taking place in Georgia in 1931.
Kaymer said he sat down to watch the movie on Friday night after posting his second straight round of 65 and set a new U.S. Open 36-hole record of moving to 10-under par.
In the movie Bagger Vance appears mysteriously and agrees to caddy for Rannulph Junuh (Damon) in a $10,000 match set-up by Junuh’s former girlfriend Adele Invergordon (Theron) against legendary Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen.
Martin Kaymer inspired by the movie – ‘The Legend of Bagger Vance’ – as he seeks to capture the 2014 U.S. Open
Junuh had served in World War 1 but continues to be traumatized after his entire company is wiped out in battle, and though he earns the Medal of Honour, he returns to Georgia and lives a shadowy life as a drunk, golf being just a distant memory.
When the match starts, Jones and Hagen each play well in their distinctive ways, but Junuh plays poorly and is far behind after the first round. With Bagger caddying for him and giving advice, Junuh rediscovers his “authentic swing” in the second round and makes up some ground. In the third round, closes the gap even more. Junuh and Adele also find their romance rekindling.
Late in the final round, Junuh disregards Bagger’s advice at a crucial point and after that plays poorly. He hits a ball into a forest, where he has a traumatic World War I flashback, but Bagger’s words help him to focus on golf. Junuh pulls back to a tie with Jones and Hagen, then has a chance to win on the final hole, but calls a penalty on himself when his ball moves after he tries to remove an obstacle.
Seeing from this that Junuh has grown and matured, Bagger decides his golfer doesn’t need him any more. Bagger leaves him as mysteriously as he met him, with the 18th hole unfinished. Though losing a chance to win because of the penalty, Junuh sinks an improbable putt and the match ends in a gentlemanly three-way tie. The three golfers shake hands with all of Savannah cheering, and Junuh and Adele get back together.
“Well, I watched “Bagger Vance” and at the end of the day we’re playing a game,” said Kaymer.
“And that is what we’re doing. We can’t control a lot of things that happen on the golf course. You have to play the game. And if you try to control your swing, if you try to control everything, which is a little bit the way I am as a person, I like to be in control of things.
“It’s the way I think a lot of Germans are. But at the end of the day, you have to feel on the golf course. You have to create that feel and trust your skill and all the work.
“And today when I was standing on 18, that’s a tough tee shot. There’s pretty much no fairway. It’s very difficult to see any fairway from the back tee. So you stand there and for me it was such an enjoyable shot, because I knew exactly where I wanted to aim and I thought, what a great position this is now.
“You are 7-under par at the U.S. Open, playing your third round. It’s the final hole, it would be nice to finish it off with a birdie. If I hit the fairway, it’s a tougher shot. But if you can pull it off, you gain some confidence.
“So it was a very, very nice thing. And it’s about that feel, that touch, that you play with your heart, that you can’t control too many things and that’s what I was trying to do the last three years.
“Now I just play.”
However Kaymer will not be looking for the overall outcome in the movie that ends with the three players
