Kaymer: Just let Tiger play golf
Martin Kaymer says he is sometimes saddened by the way in which the media has treated Tiger Woods and his struggles.
The German admitted he could not imagine what was going through Woods’ mind as he looks to make his comeback from a self-enforced lay-off at the Masters on Thursday.
Woods has started just two events in 2015, shooting a career-worst score of 82 to miss the cut in the first of them and withdrawing through injury after just 11 holes of the second one week later.
That led to the 14-time major winner taking a break from competition to work on his game, during which time he dropped outside the world’s top 100 for the first time since September 1996.
Now Woods is back, and asked if he could imagine what it was like to be in Tiger’s position, US Open champion Kaymer said: “To a certain extent, but who really knows what is going on in his head.
“I hope he’s happy. I hope he’s fine. I hope he will play well this week. But what would bother me a lot is all the speculation. You don’t have a choice; you will read about it somewhere. You will hear about it because you socialise with people.
“So mentally it must be quite exhausting and we know how important the mental part is in golf. It’s difficult and some things I don’t find very fair. You know, you should just let him be. Let him play golf, what he likes to do.
“Sometimes I look at it and find it quite sad how people treat the whole subject. It shouldn’t be like this in my opinion. But that’s how it is unfortunately. That is how a lot of people make their money and some athletes, they suffer because of that.
“Hopefully he’s strong enough, he has people to talk to, and he finds a way to compete as good as he can. Because we all know when he’s around, somehow it does make us play better, as well.
“I never experienced someone who played better than him. In my era, I never played with Seve (Ballesteros) and I never played with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, those guys. So for me, what I have seen and what I have experienced, he’s the man.”
Latest
-
NewsNicolai Hojgaard completes back-to-back European Tour wins for the family
Hojgaard’s twin Rasmus won last week’s tournament.
-
NewsLeona Maguire stars for Europe before United States fight back in Solheim Cup
The hosts hit back strongly after Europe led by four points.
-
NewsMadelene Sagstrom reduced to tears as Europe dominate day one of Solheim Cup
The Swedish player was penalised for picking up her opponent’s ball to concede a putt before the allotted time had elapsed.
-
NewsControversy benefits Nelly Korda as Europe dominate on day one of Solheim Cup
The world number one was on the right side of a ruling which saw her and Ally Ewing move one up on Madelene Sagstrom and Nanna Koerstz Madsen.
-
NewsReid and Maguire get the better of the Korda sisters as Europe start strongly
Europe’s Solheim Cup team lead their American counterparts by three points.
-
NewsNicolai Hojgaard takes narrow third-round lead in Italian Open
The Dane is looking to emulate his twin brother Rasmus as a European Tour winner.
-
NewsPatrick Cantlay leads by one from Jon Rahm at Tour Championship
Rahm began four shots behind Cantlay but reduced his deficit to a single shot thanks to consecutive rounds of 65.
-
NewsTommy Fleetwood in contention as Min Woo Lee takes Italian Open lead
That gave the 23-year-old a halfway total of 10 under par, two shots clear of Fleetwood, Johannes Veerman, Adri Arnaus and Mikko Korhonen.
-
NewsCatriona Matthew bids to add victory on US soil to home success in Solheim Cup
The Europe captain will be bidding to retain the trophy won in dramatic circumstances at Gleneagles two years ago.
-
NewsPatrick Reed returns with two-over 72 after ‘dark place’ with double pneumonia
Reed returned to action with a two-over-par 72 in the first round of the Tour Championship.