Hard work pays off for Kaymer

Martin Kaymer has been tagged in some quarters as being the weak link in the European team, but while admitting his form has been off, he says that hard work has brought him back to his best. The German was world number one for eight weeks last year before tinkering with his swing at the Masters to favour a draw which only resulted in a loss of form. He did win the HSBC Championship in Hong Kong late in the year, but is winless this year and his world ranking has slumped to 32nd, which makes him 23rd out of the 24 players at Medinah ahead of only European wild card Nicolas Colsaerts. He only squeezed into Jose Maria Olazabal's side as the 10th and last automatic qualifier, but is doubly determined to show that he deserves to win his second cap. Kaymer said that with the Ryder Cup spotlight about to fall on him he took to the driving range, hitting shot after shot until his hands ached. "I was not happy the way I hit the ball, and I spent even more time on the range with my coach (German Gunther Kessler). "And then the Wednesday before the tournament (earlier this month in Holland), I still hit it left and a little right, but I just kept doing the things that my coach told me to do, and then all of a sudden on the Friday of Holland, I made a little click in my swing again. "The same thing happens in my swing, the way it was a year and a half or two years ago. So I'm very, very happy that it came along just in time for the Ryder Cup and for the next upcoming events for me. It was a big relief." Kaymer has bitter-sweet memories of his debut Ryder Cup two years ago at Celtic Manor, Wales when Europe regained the trophy. He notched up 2 1/2 points out of a possible three in the pairings alongside Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter but he took a 6 and 5 thumping from Dustin Johnson in the singles. The problem, he said, was that he was so keyed up for the event and in wanting to do well lost his usual relaxed manner. "I was almost tight; I couldn't really loosen up and relax and enjoy the Ryder Cup in Europe.," he said "Now I'm a little bit more calm inside, which means, I think, you can really enjoy certain moments a lot more if you are not focusing on being normal, because in Wales I was just trying too hard. "I couldn't achieve my potential, my highest potential. "So I think that is the biggest difference, and it hopefully will show the way I play, as well." Asked who he would like to be paired with this week, Kaymer had a special word of praise for Colsaerts, the only rookie in the European side. "Nicolas and me, we get along well, I think," he said. "He's very long (off the tee) and he's a very good putter and in general a very good short game, so I think a lot of players would like to play with him."