“Enough to beat the best players in the world” – Martin Kaymer opens up about skipping the 2023 PGA Championship for LIV Golf events
Martin Kaymer has been battling a wrist ailment and will miss the PGA Championship to compete in the Saudi-sponsored series. Kaymer's injuries prevented him from competing in three consecutive tournaments. Therefore, he elected to forego the major. He competed in the LIV Golf Tulsa tournament last week and will compete in the next LIV Golf event after having a week off.
In an interview with LIV Golf's Mike McAllister, Martin Kaymer discussed injury and the game, saying:
"I talked to my manager about it and I don't know if he pulled me out already or not. I don't think I will be able to play three weeks in a row after the [off season wrist] surgery. Obviously I play this week [in Tulsa] and I would like to play in Washington as well [the next LIV event]."
He added:
"So I was thinking about it, to skip the PGA Championship. I haven't said to my manager 100 per cent. I don't know what he has done but I don't believe he has pulled me out yet."
Kaymer went on to declare that if he competes in a major tournament, he will do it with the intention of winning. However, he hasn't practiced in six months, making it tough for him to win the competition. Martin Kaymer believed it was not sufficient to compete with the best players in the world, and he prioritized his health.
He continued, saying:
"I'm playing good. It's just a matter of would I would like to go there with the mindset of I can actually win the tournament. I don't have that yet. I have not been practicing at all for the last six months. I've only been putting and chipping and I only hit golf shots during the tournaments. So that is not enough to beat the best players in the world."
On Sunday, May 14, Martin Kaymer ended with a scoring deficit of three at the LIV Golf Tulsa. He finished 40th in a three-way tie with James Piot and Paul Casey after three rounds of 68, 71, and 68.
Did Martin Kaymer win the PGA Championship?
Martin Kaymer won the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in 2010. It was his first major tournament victory. After finishing in a tie with Bubba Watson after the final round, he won the championship in an aggregate playoff.
Martin Kaymer turned pro and joined the EPD Tour in 2005. He had previously played on the Challenge Tour before getting his PGA Tour card. The German golfer previously played on the European Tour before securing a contract with LIV Golf last year.
He still has a deal with the European Tour. However, the Tour had won a dispute against LIV Golf and imposed punishment on the players who had defeated them in order to participate in the Saudi-backed series.
Following that, several LIV players, including Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, and Sergio Garcia, left the tour to compete in the newly established series. Martin Kaymer, on the other hand, remains on the European Tour as of now.
He had reached the top of the international rankings and had won 23 professional events during his career. Kaymer has won the US Open and the PGA Championship after competing in all four majors. In 2017, he finished 16th at the Masters and seventh at The Open Championship in 2010.