Martin Kaymer gave the world’s golfing media an incredible insight into the mind of a Major Champion before the Omega Dubai Desert Classic as he reflected on his freakish final round in Abu Dhabi a fortnight ago, where the usually unflappable German dropped a ten stroke lead to miss out on his first win of 2015.
Having had time to reflect on it, Kaymer arrived at the Emirates Golf Club to deliver a breathtakingly honest assessment of an experience he insists will help him become not only a better golfer, but help define him as a person.
Intelligent, engaging, self-deprecating and brutally honest, Kaymer’s insight into how his mind processed what was widely regarded by the outside world as a meltdown or collapse was revelatory.
Not many world-class sportsmen or women would dare give such a public insight into how their mind works, but the 30 year old US Open and Players Champion spoke with such an air of catharsis that it was impossible to conclude anything other than that he has overcome any self doubt that arose in Abu Dhabi.
Kaymer quickly revealed that, with the help of his brother Philip and father Horst, it took around 24 hours to fully process that final round 75. He was then asked if he was in Dubai to prove a point.
“Well, prove a point for who, that's the question,” said Kaymer. “That was part of the reflection, as well. Who do you do it for? Do you do it for others, to meet their expectations? Do you do it for yourself?
“I didn't come here to Dubai to prove to others that I could win a golf tournament. I don't care about this. I proved many, many times before that I can win. I’ve been in many situations that were more difficult, more important, so I know it has nothing to do with my game.
“The way I played the Sunday, I did play worse than Thursday, Friday, Saturday, but I had reasons, and those reasons were nothing to do with my swing or anything. What happened on Sunday has never happened in my career before, leading by ten shots at one stage and then losing.
“So therefore, it was a new situation, and actually I'm very glad that it happened. Because it happens at one stage in your career. I think it's very tough to avoid and I don't know if you want to avoid it, because those things, they are not nice when it happens, but afterwards, you are even more motivated because you grow a lot on the golf course, as a golf player and also as a person. And therefore, you became more mature. It was almost like a life lesson, not only a golf lesson that I got there. So therefore, I'm very glad that happened.
“I handled it differently at the US Open, handled it differently at Sawgrass, at The Ryder Cup and many other occasions where I was leading, where I had wire‑to‑wire wins or in 2010 when I kept winning golf tournaments. Abu Dhabi was different and I'm glad it was different because I think every athlete needs that.
“I don't want to call it a bad experience, because it's not a bad experience. It would create a bad result on the scorecard, but it creates a lot of truth about yourself; that we are not machines; that maybe the German engineering doesn’t always work. It does work, usually, but once in a while, it gets stuck too and for me to learn that made it, in some ways, a brilliant day for me.”
Given his level of performance, coupled with a mind-blowing mental attitude, it would come as no surprise if Kaymer was to contend for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic this Sunday. To do so he will have to overcome a field that includes World Number One Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els and defending champion Stephen Gallacher, and he is relishing the opportunity to do that.
“One of my best memories in golf is from this tournament in 2008,” he said. “I had just won in Abu Dhabi for the first time and I came over here when Tiger played, and I finished only one shot behind him. Obviously back then it was super exciting. I was just over a year on Tour, and then all of a sudden with a chance of being in a play-off with Tiger Woods. I finished birdie, birdie, eagle, thinking the eagle might have been enough to get into the play-off, but then Tiger did what he does a lot and birdied 18 to finish one ahead of me. But it was an amazing experience.
“I feel very, very good, very calm, about this week because I'm fine. I'm fine what happened in Abu Dhabi. I didn't lose much when you think about it. I lost a few World Ranking points, a trophy and some money. But I can handle all of those things.
“So this week is one to look forward to in a place I enjoy a lot. I have good memories here. The golf course is in great shape and there’s a great field so there's nothing really that you shouldn't look forward to. I approach this week as a happy Martin Kaymer.”
You get the feeling that the German engineering will be running just fine from now on.
