Martin Kaymer is hoping that some timely advice from veteran German countryman Bernhard Langer can finally set him on course for a top showing at the Masters.
The 30-year-old from Dusseldorf will be making his eighth appearance at Augusta National this week and to date his best showing has been a tie for 31st last year.
He missed four cuts in a row from his debut in 2008, the last of those a humiliating experience when he had just taken on the mantle of world number one and much was expected of him.
The core problem then was his inability to hit a draw (right-to-left effect) off the tee, a shot deemed key to winning at Augusta.
He has since sorted that out – despite enduring a bad form loss in the process – but has come to realise that the course is about more than just that.
That is where 57-year-old Langer comes in.
He became the first German to win any major tournament here in 1985 and triumphed again in 1993, to a great degree putting German golf on the map and paving the way for the emergence of Kaymer.
Langer knows Augusta National like the back of his hand and that is the knowledge that Kaymer says he seeks to possess.
“He’s so good on the golf course, and I think he’s very happy off the golf course,” he said after a third straight day of practice play at the fabled Georgia layout.
“So obviously he’s very experienced, and the way he does things, they are very much the way I want to do things. We are very similar in that category.
“And because of his experience, I believe that is the most valuable thing you can give to someone, because you experience it yourself and not just read about it or something.
“And he’s always very open about it. He never holds anything back, so it’s very, very helpful.
“It’s the same in fitness. You always can become stronger and more flexible.
“And again, when you see Bernhard, I mean, I’m 25, 26 years younger than him, but I don’t think I’m that much better when it comes down to flexibility in the gym than he is.”
– Stellar year –
Kaymer enjoyed a stellar year in 2014 winning the prestigious Players Championship and the US Open – his second major title – propelling him back up into the world top 10 after a poor 2012 and 2013.
This year has been more of a struggle so far though, starting with an astonishing collapse at the Abu Dhabi Championship in late January when he let slip a 10 hole lead during the final round.
He admitted he was “in shock” after that brutal reversal and in recent weeks on the US Tour he has seemed still under the spell with a tie for 44th, a tie for 31st and two missed cuts in his last four tournaments.
Kaymer admits that he doesn’t quite know what to expect when he tees of on Thursday.
“I was trying to peak for this week. I was practicing really hard and you can feel the body is getting tired.
“But I tried to ignore that, because you know you’re going to have enough adrenaline when it comes down to when the tournament starts.”
“I can’t tell you if all the work will pay off this week. I would love to. If not, it will be another week.”