Whilst enjoying a well-earned holiday in Rome with girlfriend this week, between their visits to the Coliseum and St Peter’s Basilica, Moritz Lampert may allow his mind to drift north towards Denmark.
For Made in Denmark is where Lampert’s attempt to establish himself as the next Martin Kaymer will begin in earnest, having earned instant promotion to The European Tour courtesy of his third Challenge Tour of the season in Azerbaijan last week.
Lampert’s record on the developmental Tour bears comparison to that of his illustrious compatriot, who won on his debut on home soil at the 2007 Vodafone Challenge before securing a second title just four weeks later.
In addition to his three victories in nine appearances this term, Lampert, who is attached to European Tour Destination Golf Club St Leon-Rot, has also finished in the top five on two occasions, including a joint runner-up finish in Scotland.
His winnings for the current campaign add up to a princely €133,835 – some €40,514 more than Kaymer earned from eight starts during his breakthrough season – leading the latter to joke that “on the Challenge Tour, he’s definitely better than me”.
Lampert will now have to prove he can make the step up in grade after struggling with the transition last year, when he made just four cuts in 22 European Tour appearances.
There were, however, mitigating circumstances, as Lampert had only just turned professional at the end of 2012, after taking the sixth card as a fresh-faced amateur at the Qualifying School Final Stage.
Being thrown in at the deep end on The European Tour can prove a chastening experience for any rookie, and Lampert is man enough to admit that he was neither physically nor mentally ready to compete with seasoned professionals on the top tier.
But the Schwetzingen native learned some harsh lessons, and returned to the Challenge Tour this year determined to prove that what doesn’t break you, makes you stronger.
He said: “There were some people back home who doubted me after what happened last year, and maybe I even doubted myself at times. So to do what I’ve done on the Challenge Tour this year has been huge for my confidence.
“This season has really helped me improve in every way, because the quality is so good here on the Challenge Tour. You have to go low every week, because the winning score is normally around 15 under par. Now obviously the courses are a bit easier than on The European Tour, but it’s good to have that attacking philosophy, where you’re always looking for the next birdie. I’ll definitely try to take that with me onto The European Tour.
“One of the tournaments I’m most looking forward to playing is the Alfred Dunhill Links. I managed to get an invite to play as an amateur in 2010, and I loved every minute of it.
“Last year I was hoping to play but I was only first reserve and no-one withdrew, which was really frustrating because I really love links golf and St Andrews is one of my favourite courses. So that will be a highlight, but there are so many great tournaments on The European Tour I’m looking forward to playing.”
His trip to St Andrews in October is likely to be the next time Lampert crosses paths with two-time Major Champion Kaymer, who was amongst the first to tweet his congratulations.
Like his close friend and fellow Challenge Tour champion Max Kieffer, Lampert has been inspired by Kaymer’s success and is happy to have contributed to the feel-good factor currently running through German golf.
“Golf in Germany is really on a high at the moment,” he said. “Not only did Martin win the Players Championship and the US Open, but Bernhard Langer also won the Senior Open by 13 shots. Golf in Germany has never been more popular or had as much success as it has right now, so it’s great to be a part of that.
“I talk to Martin every now and then, and I’ll definitely be speaking to him before I go to Denmark. What he’s done is incredible, and if I can achieve even a quarter as much as him, I’ll have a great career. But I’ve obviously got a long way to go.
“It’ll be interesting to see how my game now compares to some of the best players in the world, because I wasn’t ready last time. But I already know I have my card for next season, so I won’t have that pressure and I can work on the areas of my game which I feel I need to improve. Then I’ll take some time off at the end of the season and work even harder on my game over the winter, so that I can come out next season and show people what I can do.”
