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BMW INTERNATIONAL OPEN

June 22, 2008

Martin Kaymer

EICHENRIED, GERMANY

RODDY WILLIAMS: Martin, if you could give your initial reaction to that victory, and what this means to you right now.
MARTIN KAYMER: Well, it was very exciting today, but to be the first German to win this tournament is very special for me. It was a great support out there today, and I can't wait to play next year. It was such a nice feeling to walk the 18th on a regular round and in the Playoffs. It was amazing.
RODDY WILLIAMS: You mentioned your mother out there, as well, obviously very special. Do you have a message for her?
MARTIN KAYMER: I said everything, and she's happy about it and my father is happy about it and everybody, she'll be happy about it. My team and my manager, Juan Elliott, and my girlfriend, my brother and Fanny Sunesson, they were supporting me since a long time and they helped me a lot especially during this last week. So I think everybody did a little bit for this win today.

Q. Was that the most pressure you have felt on a golf course because of what happened over the first 11 holes and playing in front of your home fans?
MARTIN KAYMER: To be honest, six shots, it is a lot, but I experienced it in Abu Dhabi already that this gap can close down. I was only two ahead in Abu Dhabi after 10 or 11 holes and today I was already one back, but the most important for me was just to keep fighting, and that is what I did. It was a very special feeling to play the back nine. I think the spectators, they felt that I was a little down after 11 and they were supporting me and they were yelling at me to keep going and keep fighting, and that is what I did.
Yeah, I brought it home.

Q. You said in Abu Dhabi that you were not expecting to make The Ryder Cup Team; how do you think about it now? You're sixth in the tables.
MARTIN KAYMER: I think I have a really good chance now, so I'll just try to keep playing the next tournaments and looking forward to next week. I think that I have a really good chance that I'm a member of The Ryder Cup Team this year, yeah, right.

Q. What does this mean to you?
MARTIN KAYMER: It's huge for me. To win in my country is very special for me. I was leading after three days with six shots, and they were gone after six, seven holes already, and I just kept fighting and brought it home.

Q. Concentrate on those positives and the way that you finished, because those were the two best shots of the day, weren't they, 18 and the playoff hole?
MARTIN KAYMER: Definitely. The drive was really good and the second shot was I think one of the best shots in my career and yeah, a very special feeling when I walked on the 18th to see all of the German flags in the background, amazing.

Q. I imagine that was very emotional and a lot of pride there.
MARTIN KAYMER: Definitely, it's all right.

Q. If I do take you back, what were your thoughts at the time on the 11th when things went horribly wrong?
MARTIN KAYMER: I went for the green which was the wrong position. Still, I was one back after 13 and just tried to keep going and make pars and use the birdie chances.
There were a lot of easy holes, and like 15, 16, 18, they are very good birdie chances. I thought if you make one or two more, you will be fine, at least a playoff.

Q. I know it's never easy to hold onto a lead but you yourself said that six shots is a lot, so can you quite believe that those holes were frittered away in the way that they were?
MARTIN KAYMER: It was the same in Abu Dhabi, they were almost gone after ten holes. I was always in the lead in Abu Dhabi, but this week was a little different and that makes me even more proud that I won.

Q. Is it down to the pressures of the situation, wrong decisions, what?
MARTIN KAYMER: I'm not really sure but I think if you're in this situation, you should lay up and try to make birdie with a third shot, but now I know and I know it for the future and yeah, you learn something.

Q. It must have been awkward for you off the course, as well, a lot of upset at home with your mother.
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, right, but this week was very important for me, on one hand, because it's in Germany and on the other hand, it was just for my mom.

Q. Did it take a lot of pulling yourself together to even play this event and keep yourself going?
MARTIN KAYMER: It was not easy, but she wants it that I played here and everybody wants it on my team, so I played.

Q. How do you celebrate?
MARTIN KAYMER: Actually we are just going back now to DÃ¼sseldorf, and probably we will arrive at two or three and maybe we'll have a party afterwards.

Q. You'll look back on this day many times in your career, won't you?
MARTIN KAYMER: Definitely, it was special, very special.

Q. First German winner in the 20 years of this championship.
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, I was struggling today, especially on the front nine, I didn't hit the ball very well. I had a big mistake on 11, but I kept fighting until 18.
When I saw the leaderboard on 18, I knew I had to make eagle to win or at least birdie to have a chance to win this tournament. I did a lot of things very well in the last two holes.

Q. The 11th hole, you had 236, the ball was sitting down a little bit in the rough; what was the brain box thinking right there?
MARTIN KAYMER: I thought that the grass was very light, and I would make it easy with a 5-iron but I got a little loft on the ball and hit it too thin. I didn't really keep the patience to be honest, but I know for next time.

Q. You hung right in there, you got behind, started six in front and at one stage in the back side, you got one behind trying to bring it home. Do you have a look at the boards or don't you?
MARTIN KAYMER: Yes, I did. I was six ahead after yesterday and I withstood that situation in Abu Dhabi already, so I know how it feels. Six shots is a lot, but it doesn't really feel like that.
So I was one behind I think after 13 or 14, and I just kept fighting, because I just wanted to win here. It's not only a win for me, a special tournament, but for my mother.

Q. All of a sudden you find yourself six shots in front. Was the feeling that you don't want to blow this; is that what you were thinking?
MARTIN KAYMER: It's really tough to play aggressive the first three days because you don't want to make any bogeys to give the other guys a chance. But I think that's very usual and very normal as you're playing like this. I made a couple of bad shots on the first nine, didn't hit the greens, but in general, I'm still happy.

Q. You obviously mentioned your mother here, is she watching and would you like to send her some support?
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, this victory was just for you.
Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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