Masters blitz just the tonic for Martin Kaymer

When you birdie six of the last seven holes at Augusta, you know your golf game is as good as it gets.

That’s why Martin Kaymer believes he can follow Martin Laird and Graeme McDowell’s US Tour victories either side of The Masters, and be the next European to enter the winner’s circle.

The former US PGA Champion has gone through a torrid time by his standards since sinking the putt that won the Ryder Cup at Medinah last September.

The 28-year-old German embarked on a programme of swing changes which seemed to cause more problems than they solved.

He has worked hard to rediscover his winning formula, and is confident he has arrived back where he started!

“It has been practice, practice and more practice throughout the winter, and I am more than happy with my progress,” he reports.

“I won’t say it has been easy, but I have put things together slowly, and now I am able to do it all in practice rounds.

“It is just a matter of time before I can produce the same outcome under pressure at tournaments.”

Kaymer points to those final seven holes at The Masters two weeks ago as the moment he felt he had all but got his old flair back.

“It was a great way to end the tournament and leave Augusta with positive thoughts,” he continues.

“I’ll play the next three tournaments in the States, then fly back to England for the PGA at Wentworth.

“Right now I have all my old confidence back, and I look forward to playing in every tournament because I feel it is only a short matter of time before I finally turn in a scorecard that means something.”

Kaymer stunned the authorities by not taking up the opportunity to have full membership of the US Tour following his US PGA victory.

He admits now that it might have been a mistake, but it is worth remembering he was still a very young man.

Three years on, and accompanied by his steady girlfriend, Kaymer admits he sees it all differently.

“I have to admit I am finding it all very exciting, playing at courses like Hilton Head last week with its history of great winners like Palmer, Miller, Nicklaus, Watson, Faldo and, of course, Bernhard Langer,” he explains.

“And it’s nice to go on to the next tournament without having to travel so much.

“The schedule is set out in such a fashion, it’s literally only an hour or two driving between venues, and that is a huge difference.”

But Kaymer, who had a brief spell as the World No 1, intends to fly far and wide in June, July and August in his quest to add a second Major to his resume.

He says: “I’ve never played the US Open venue at Merion in Pennsylvania, have never played Muirfield, and have never played the US PGA venue of Rochester in upstate New York.

“So it is unknown territory for me in all three.

“I’ll go up to Merion a couple of weeks before the US Open to play some practice rounds in peace and quiet.

“I’ll do the same before the Open Championship, but right now I have no plans for the Scottish Open.

“And I’ll fit a pre-tournament trip to Rochester as well.

“I thought that routine paid off for me at Augusta, so I’ll stick to something that is working.”