Martin Kaymer didn’t exactly play like the No. 1 golfer in the world on Thursday during the first round of the 75th Masters Tournament.
The 26-year-old German shot 78 — his highest round ever at Augusta National. So suddenly the perplexed Kaymer is in danger of missing his fourth straight cut at the Masters.
In fact, only four players shot higher than the enormously talented German did, and two of those play the Champions Tour.
“For me it was very difficult,” he said. “Every day that I played here was a tough day so far. So, yeah, … I was disappointed, because there’s some golf courses that suit you and some they just don’t.”
Should Kaymer make another early exit, there are plenty of players waiting in the wings to take over the No. 1 spot in the world. In fact, five could end Kaymer’s reign at six weeks come Sunday and here are the scenarios.
* Lee Westwood needs to win.
* Phil Mickelson needs to win and have Kaymer finish lower than solo second.
* Luke Donald has to win and have Westwood finish lower than solo second and Kaymer finish outside the top three.
* Graeme McDowell needs to win and have Mickelson finish lower than solo second, Westwood finish outside the top four and Kaymer finish outside the top 55 or miss the cut.
* Tiger Woods needs to win and have Mickelson finish lower than solo second, Westwood finish outside the top four and Kaymer finish outside the top 18.
Kaymer, who has won five times in the last 15 months – including the PGA Championship, is at a loss to explain his lack of success at Augusta National.
He decided to change his preparation this year – taking the last two weeks off. Kaymer spent the first back on the practice range back home in Scottsdale and the second in the Augusta area playing golf with his father and his brother.
Still, the frustration continued. In seven rounds now at Augusta National, Kaymer has only broken par once and he has never shot in the 60s.
“I was trying to hit good golf shots today and not playing very well,” Kaymer said. “My putting was okay, I think my short game was definitely better than the last three, four, years, but I just didn’t hit the ball as good as the last two or three years ago.”
So what’s next for the frustrated Kaymer? To be honest, he’s not really sure. But he might see if he could pick the brain of his countryman Bernhard Langer, who has won two Masters.
“There’s not really a game plan,” Kaymer said when asked about Friday’s second round. “I think that I don’t really know how to play the golf course. I don’t know, I can think about another hour or hour and a half or two hours, and I just don’t really find a solution.
“I think that maybe I got to sit down with Bernhard Langer later and ask him. … I think that I can only get good advice from him.”
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