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Home / Features / Martin Kaymer Interview after Day One of Race to Dubai

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Martin Kaymer Interview after Day One of Race to Dubai

First Round 67 (-5) RODDY WILLIAMS: Okay, Martin, very important week for you this week, and I reckon you’re fairly pleased with the start that you’ve made to it. MARTIN KAYMER: I would say the most important week of my career so far. I’m very happy, yeah, good start. 67 is a great round. I played solid golf. My putting felt good. So I’m very happy, yeah. RODDY WILLIAMS: That eagle on the third hole, if you could talk us through that, and that obviously got you going very nicely. MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I had a perfect yardage. Obviously I’m not thinking to make it from I think 192 yards it was, but I mean, I could go for it fairly aggressive. And when it was in the air, I thought it was a little high, a little short but it pitched pretty good, five feet short and then went in. So those things, they get the round going a little bit. RODDY WILLIAMS: Exactly the type of round you needed to start this tournament. MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I just -- my goal is to put myself in a position on Sunday morning that I can win the tournament. That is the goal for the week; to put myself there and to have a chance to win on Sunday afternoon. Q. You mentioned in your opening address that it’s the most important week of your career. Does that take it past what happened for you then in winning your first major? MARTIN KAYMER: I was not expecting me to win the PGA Championship. So after the PGA, yes, it was probably the best and the highlight of my career, but this week, I have a very realistic chance to win The Race to Dubai and become the best player in Europe. So I would consider that as the biggest week of my career. Q. Just a couple of things. What did Graeme say to you when you holed that shot? MARTIN KAYMER: "Well done." Q. And how much did you feel it was a contest between the two of you, or did you have -- did you just block that out? MARTIN KAYMER: I was trying to avoid it, to think about his game too much. But it’s very difficult. Of course, you get dragged away once in awhile, but that start really helped me. I think I was -- yeah, I was 3-under after three holes. He was level par. So you know, those things that helped me to focus more on my game. If it would have been the other way around, I don’t know how I would have reacted, but that definitely helped. And I think you always have to remind yourself why you are here, to win the golf tournament and get back it to the basics and try to avoid to focus on different things than your own game. Q. I wonder if you spent much time looking at leaderboards, and you seemed to give yourself a few more good chances for birdie coming in. Wonder if you were disappointed with not making them all or whether you feel perhaps the eagle, they balance themselves out? MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I was following the scoreboard a little bit, the leaderboard, for sure, because I’m here to win the tournament. Then I can take care of everything else and I will win The Race to Dubai. Yeah, the last five holes, I had very good chances. But I thought I made good putts. But, you know, that happens. I cannot complain about 5-under par. It could have been better, yes, but on the other hand, you don’t hole a shot from 192 yards every day. So, yeah, I’m happy with the round. Q. Did you sense a little edge over Graeme in terms of mental freshness, given you had last week off and he’s on a long run of playing tournaments? MARTIN KAYMER: I think it was -- no, I didn’t see any difference. He was very I think mentally very fit today. He was not tired. He didn’t seem tired to me. Yeah, the first ten, 12 holes, he didn’t play his best golf. He was 2-over par. But then you could see that he was fighting back. He gave himself good chances the last few holes. Well, everybody has to expect him to play well. He’s one of the best players in the world and he can easily shoot 5- or 6-under every day. So it’s not over. Q. Did you surprise yourself, how you reacted today? You built the tournament up yourself as the biggest week of your career, but yet you came out as if it was just, you know, a practise round? MARTIN KAYMER: If I surprised myself? Q. How calmly? MARTIN KAYMER: No. Of course, there is a little bit more pressure, yes, but if you have a start like me today, you know, if you are 3-under par after three holes, that helps. Yeah, it helps a lot. And that gave me the confidence and the motivation and the belief that I can play well here. I was not very successful last year when I played here, but I didn’t play as good as this week. I know I played well and I could handle the pressure well, but what I said, the start definitely helped. Q. Can you remember the last time you holed out from a fairway? MARTIN KAYMER: To be honest, I think the last time was on The Challenge Tour. So it was a long time ago. RODDY WILLIAMS: A lot’s happened since then. MARTIN KAYMER: I never got that lucky, but it’s the right week to get lucky. Q. Have there been holes-in-one in that time? MARTIN KAYMER: No. Q. And did you talk less to Graeme than you normally would? MARTIN KAYMER: I think we didn’t talk at all. (Laughter) I think we talked, maybe two or three sentences and that’s it. I just wanted to focus on my game and he wanted to do the same. I mean, we get along well, don’t get me wrong. But it’s an important week for both of us, and it’s more important to focus on our game. Q. What exactly did you do last evening considering that this is going to be, as you said, the biggest week of your career? What did you do last evening, and did you prepare yourself differently this morning? Did you come early to the golf course or something like that? MARTIN KAYMER: I didn’t change anything. I went to the Japanese last night with my dad. We had fantastic food and went to the gym this morning and get ready for the round, what I do when I play other tournaments, as well. So I didn’t really change anything and worked out well. Q. It’s not only the European dominance this week; if you win, you have a chance to be world No. 1 as well. Is that featured in your thinking? MARTIN KAYMER: It’s not really on my mind. I think the goal to win The Race to Dubai is big enough. I mean, there’s no room for any other goals. (Laughter). And to be honest with you, the No. 1 in the world, I mean, for me, is still so far away. I know it’s not far away, but for me it is far away. You should never forget, I’m only five years on Tour. All of the things that happened to me the last couple of years has been -- sometimes I’m very surprised when I think about it. If it happens, it would be nice, but if it doesn’t happen, I mean, as long as I win The Race to Dubai, it’s fine. I had a fantastic season. RODDY WILLIAMS: Thank you very much.

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