There was a time, even after the confidence boost of winning the PGA Championship in 2010, that Martin Kaymer gave himself little chance to win a Masters.
Kaymer’s crisis was rooted in two things: a lack of knowledge of Augusta National and an inability to draw the ball, which robbed him of the needed distance off the tee to attack greens that often don’t forgive anything but the most precise shots.
Kaymer has worked on both. Course knowledge came with experience and by picking the brain of fellow German Bernhard Langer, who as a two-time Masters champ knows every umlaut on the course.
Learning how to hit a draw took work, a lot of work.
Now, when he needs to avoid a fade that would lead to a 3- or 4-iron with his second shot on the 10th hole, he can hit a draw with a plan to attack the pin with a 7-iron or 8-iron.
“It gives you a relief that you can actually compete with the others now, and it’s not as frustrating as it used to be for me,” he said.
While still a long way from putting on a green jacket, Kaymer can also draw this year from the confidence gained from winning another major, the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, and a “fifth major,” The Players Championship, to his trophy case last year. Those, coupled with his out-of-nowhere PGA Championship victory at Whistling Straits, are his only wins on the PGA Tour.
Not a bad haul.
Ever the pragmatist, Kaymer is cautious about letting what happened last year influence this year.
“It’s very difficult to follow a season like that,” he said.
Still, with more shots in his bag, Kaymer turned to Langer to help him figure how to use his arsenal at Augusta and move one step closer to completing a career Grand Slam.
For example, Kaymer said he could never figure out where to play his second shot on the par-5 13th when the flag is tucked onto the back left of the green.
Practicing together Monday morning, Kaymer said he asked Langer if he should lay up to the right, or to the left.
His response was neither.
“Well, you have to lay it up somewhere,” Kaymer said, laughing.
Langer said he prefers to lay up as close as possible to the tributary of Rae’s Creek that runs in front of the green. That way, he can either hit a bump-and-run to get the ball to the top, or if the green is firm, use a lob wedge to try and drop the ball on the top.
“Things like that just gave me a completely different option,” Kaymer said.
After missing his first four Masters cuts, and admittedly not being able to play the course the way it’s meant to be played, Kaymer has made the past three and steadily improved his finish each time, culminating with last year’s tie for 31st. He said he didn’t finish higher because he said his putting wasn’t as good as it was the first three years.
His putting was magical at the U.S. Open, and he said he has spent the past few weeks on his short game in preparation for this week.
He again picked Langer’s brain in an attempt to learn the mysteries of Augusta’s greens. Kaymer said it can be frustrating to see good putts run 3 to 4 feet past the hole. But it’s a frustration that he said he loves because it adds to the challenge.
At least this week he is giving himself a chance.
“I can’t tell you if all the work will pay off this week,” he said. “I would love to. If not, it will be another week.”
About the Author
