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THE CELTIC MANOR WALES OPEN

June 2, 2010

Martin Kaymer

NEWPORT, WALES

GORDON SIMPSON: Martin, welcome back to the Celtic Manor Resort. You've played in this event and this course, how do you feel it's come along in the couple of years since you were last year?
MARTIN KAYMER: I was here 2008 and to be honest with you, I was not a big fan of the golf course when I came here two years ago. But I played it yesterday, nine holes, and played 18 holes this morning in the Pro-Am and I became a fan. It's quite nice.
They changed it a little bit. It's very long, which I like. It used to be -- you'll have to hit your long irons very precise. You'll have a lot of long irons into the greens, especially on the back nine, 16 and 17, they are long holes, and I really like that if you make it difficult. And it is definitely a difficult golf course. The rough is not very thick, but because of the vistas of the golf course, it doesn't have to be thick.
GORDON SIMPSON: So you could see yourself enjoying it here in October, in the first week in October?
MARTIN KAYMER: That's the goal. I really hope I can come back again. I think I had a good start this year with my win in Abu Dhabi and the World Golf Championships event in Doral, I played well there. I put myself in a good position. I just have to keep playing well now.
GORDON SIMPSON: Do you feel it just needs a win now, as you say you won in Abu Dhabi, third in the WGC; Wentworth, not so good obviously.
MARTIN KAYMER: The last few tournaments, my game was not really sharp the last few weeks. I was practising a lot, probably a little bit too much. But one day it will pay off again and I hope it will pay off in the right period of tournaments after the U.S. Open, or pretty much it starts with the U.S. Open and the big tournaments in Europe are coming up and hopefully it will pay off in a series of tournaments.

Q. What didn't you like about the course when you were here two years ago?
MARTIN KAYMER: Well, I didn't play very well, and if you don't play well, then you don't really like the golf course. I think I was with bad weather here, I didn't hit the ball well and I struggled with reaching the par 4s because they were so long. I missed the greens on the wrong side, so I just didn't play very well. I think the rough was very, very thick. Hole No. 15 is a drivable par 4. It was very thick rough on the right side.
This year, it's makeable from the right side; if you miss the green on the right side, you can still make the birdie. In the past, you were struggling to find the ball there.
So there's some improvements on the golf course which makes it a little bit more interesting for us, and I think for the spectators, as well, because they like to see birdies and obviously we do.

Q. And the weather?
MARTIN KAYMER: A few years ago it was horrible. If you come here in the summertime, there's sun every day, your chances to love the golf course are pretty high. And if you come here in the wintertime and it's raining and cold, then you're not enjoying it as much, no.

Q. Will you like it in October?
MARTIN KAYMER: In October, I don't really care what weather it is. As long as I'm here, I'm fine. I hope it's going to be bad weather, that would be nice.

Q. Bad?
MARTIN KAYMER: Yeah, personally, for me, I like to play in bad weather and I think it would be an advantage for the European players, too.
GORDON SIMPSON: Why do you say that? Do you think some people don't play as well and maybe give up a bit more easily in bad weather?
MARTIN KAYMER: It's tough. In The Ryder Cup, nobody will give up, but The European Team players have more experience in bad weather than the Americans, and I think that will make a difference.

Q. Did you need some persuading to come back here and play?
MARTIN KAYMER: No, obviously my goal is to be here in a few months, and I hope I can make it. That's why I think it's nice to see the golf course twice, how it will play now and how it will play in a few months.
Schedule-wise, it fit in my schedule pretty well. I didn't play a lot of tournaments in April because of the surgery I had on my foot, and I felt like I wanted to play more golf and more tournaments, and that's why I came.

Q. Europe are hot favourites. Does that put extra pressure to perform?
MARTIN KAYMER: I think the Europeans, let's say everybody keeps playing like this, and the team is going to be very young, a lot of rookies.
So I don't really think that people get, I don't know, a little -- I think that they will still -- the players they will still fight as much as they can, and of course, the expectations are high, but from us, from players, as well, from everybody. And I think we are all -- we all can handle that pressure. Especially when you play in The Ryder Cup, it's a little bit different. You fight till the end. You don't fight for yourself like usually do. You fight for the team, for your country and for your continent, so that makes a huge difference I think.
GORDON SIMPSON: What do you think you need now then, do you think one big victory?
MARTIN KAYMER: My goal is to defend my title in France or in Loch Lomond, maybe --
GORDON SIMPSON: One or the other?
MARTIN KAYMER: It goes U.S. Open, Munich, Loch Lomond, France, British Open. Any of those are pretty good. I would prefer the first and the last (smiling).

Q. What is your schedule now?
MARTIN KAYMER: I'm playing a lot. I'm not sure if I'm going to play in Sweden or Ireland. Probably Sweden is a little too much, six in a row with the U.S. Open to start. But I heard Ireland is supposed to be a very good golf course. It's not the perfect date, the week before the World Golf Championships event, but I mean, I probably will enter. I'm not sure yet. I will decide how I feel after the British Open. That's a lot of tournaments.
GORDON SIMPSON: Martin, have a very good week and good luck. Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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