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Unflappable Kaymer is Golf's Next Superstar

Johnie Freatman |
March 1, 2011 | 1:39 a.m. PST

Staff Writer

Martin Keymar, 26, is taking the golf world by storm. (Creative Commons)
Martin Keymar, 26, is taking the golf world by storm. (Creative Commons)
With his victory over Luke Donald Saturday in the semifinals of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championships, 26-year-old Martin Kaymer has clinched the No. 1 ranking in the world. Based on Kaymer’s dominant play of late and enormous potential, it may be a while until he is displaced.

Kaymer truly has the whole package. He hits the ball long and accurate, is an outstanding putter, possesses a great mental outlook, and, most importantly, has an ability to deliver when it matters.

This was on display last August in the PGA Championship when he made a cold-blooded 15-footer on the 72nd hole to get into a playoff with Bubba Watson and subsequently won his first major.

Kaymer showed some of the same this week, where three of the five matches he won went to the final hole. Kaymer closed all of them out with clutch putts, flashing his ever-developing killer instinct.

Ever since the aforementioned major breakthrough, Kaymer has taken the golf world by storm, winning another three times while showing flashes of the brilliance that has many people believing his staying power will be similar to that of Tiger Woods, the only player to reach the top of the world rankings at a younger age than Kaymer.

Kaymer’s recent dominance shows that he hasn’t fallen prone to the expectations from his major breakthrough, but is instead building confidence.

This is unlikely to change. The laconic, unassuming German stays even-keeled while on the golf course and reminds many of countryman Bernhard Langer, a former world No. 1. It’s difficult to envision Kaymer becoming complacent as his fame grows.

In fact, Kaymer has made a point of saying he does not feel satisfied with his recent success, pointing in particular to The Masters. The German has inexplicably missed the cut in each of his three appearances and has been working at length with his swing coach to develop the right-to-left “draw” shot needed for right-handed golfers to succeed at Augusta National.

Though Kaymer’s rapid ascension to the top of the golf world can partially be attributed to Woods’ malaise and the inconsistency of Phil Mickelson, even if Woods and Mickelson are able to regain their forms of old, Kaymer should still be in his prime when they begin declining for good, if that day hasn’t already arrived.

Though there are a number of young players with outstanding potential, Kaymer has established himself as the best, at least for now. Some of his eventual challengers include Hunter Mahan, Ryo Ishikawa, and Rickie Fowler but the two most formidable threats (at least for the moment) appear to be Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy.

Last year’s PGA Championship was a microcosm of what separates Kaymer from the other two.

Johnson was in position to win, needing only a par on the last hole, but he grounded his club in a bunker and lost a chance to be the third man in the playoff. From that mental gaffe to the impatience he showed in his final round blowup at last year’s U.S. Open to inexplicably getting his tee time confused at the L.A. Open, there are concerns about Johnson’s focus and his ability to hang onto leads.

McIlroy is a dazzling talent who has nonetheless struggled to find consistency. The man who Tiger Woods once pegged as a future No. 1 had the golf world buzzing last May when he shot a scintillating final-round 62 to win at Quail Hollow. However, he hasn’t won since then, and his losses include a missed opportunity in last year’s PGA, where he opened with three great rounds before shooting a lackluster 72 in the final round to come up one stroke short.

Though Kaymer may not possess the charisma or flashy playing style of McIlroy and Johnson, he simply gets the job done. He consistently puts himself in contention and shows the mental fortitude needed to be a world-class player. Unlike his aforementioned counterparts, Kaymer shows no real weaknesses.

What he has shown, among other things, is an advanced maturity. He lost his mother to cancer two years ago and says that event has put golf in perspective and contributed to his on-course calmness, one that borders on unflappability.

Predicting the future of golf is difficult – there are so many factors at play – but it’s rare to find someone with the complete package Kaymer possesses.  It’s safe to assume he will be a superstar for years to come.

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To reach Johnie Freatman, click here.



 

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