Since his ascent to World Number One Martin Kaymer has been inundated by well-wishers, but perhaps the most notable was the only other German to have held the position, Bernhard Langer.
Langer, who topped the Official World Golf Ranking for three weeks back in 1986, called Kaymer last week to offer his congratulations to the 26 year old from Düsseldorf, who will be bidding to retain his status as the world’s best player at this week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship.
Kaymer recalled: “Bernhard phoned me last Wednesday. We had planned to meet here on Monday, but I arrived quite late so we didn’t get the chance in the end. But it was nice to speak to him on the phone. He just told me that he’s very proud of how I’ve managed to hold it all together, and how important it is that I’ve got a good family and good people around me.
“He also said how pleased he was that I’ve never really lost my focus on what’s important, and that I managed to keep my feet on the ground. He said that’s the most important thing to remember. He also told me that I should keep the circle of people around me as small as possible, so that was good advice. Hopefully I can catch up with him at The Masters and we can play a practice round together.”
Unlike most of the courses he has tackled on his meteoric rise to the top, Augusta National has not been the happiest of hunting grounds so far for Kaymer, who is yet to make it as far as the weekend on any of his three previous visits to The Masters Tournament.
Kaymer feels that his inability to draw the ball may have hindered his attempts to successfully negotiate Augusta’s fabled fairways, and so has worked hard to perfect the shot with the help of his coach, Günther Kessler.
The nine-time European Tour champion will thus go in search of his second Major title in four weeks’ time with renewed confidence.
He said: “I’ve played The Masters three times and I’ve never made the cut, so my first goal is just to make the weekend this year. I’ve struggled a little bit with the draw in the past few years, so my coach and I have been working hard on it. I’m pretty happy with my swing, so I don’t want to change it totally, we just want to get there step by step.
“In the last few months we’ve worked on it a little bit more in order to play well at Augusta, because my biggest disadvantage there was that I couldn’t hit the draw. Obviously that makes a big difference. If you only fade the ball, you make the golf course even more difficult. So I just needed to add that golf shot to my arsenal, because it gives me another option.”
The compliments did not stop with Langer, either, as Ernie Els, the defending champion this week, added his views on the recent Kaymer phenomenon.
“He’s got a great mind – a very ice cold demeanour,” said the South African, who edged out his home guest, Charl Schwartzel, over the Blue Monster course at Doral last year.
“Things don’t really upset him and he goes with the flow – that’s a pretty good package to have,” continued Els. “I remember playing with him in Germany when he was really young, and thinking: ‘wow, this kid can really hit the ball’. He has kept his game the same, without changing things, and is getting better.”
Thursday’s first round will see an historic moment for The European Tour when the top three in the Official World Golf Ranking tee off together.
Kaymer is joined by his predecessor as World Number One, Lee Westwood of England, and Number Three Luke Donald, who is aiming for a quick-fire double in the World Golf Championships following his victory in the Accenture Match Play.
