KAYMER SEEKING MORE SUCCESS IN UAE
Two-time Major champion Martin Kaymer arrives at this week’s Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World on a good run of form as he looks to add a fourth victory in the United Arab Emirates to his resume. The Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World will be held over the Fire course from December 2 to December 5, a press release said.
The tournament will precede the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, Dubai — the final Rolex Series event of the season — on the Earth course.
The 35-year-old Kaymer, who has won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on three occasions, has enjoyed a strong restart following the European Tour’s hiatus due to Covid-19 pandemic with four top tens in his last six starts, including a runner-up finish at the Estrella Damm NA Andalucia Masters and a tied tenth at the Rolex Series’ BMW PGA Championship.
“I think I used the break very well,” said Kaymer who won the 2010 US PGA Championship and the 2014 US Open but hasn’t added to his 11 European Tour titles since that memorable win at Pinehurst.
“I slowed down at the beginning and got out of my routines that I worked on for the last 15 years. It was great to be forced to sit down, relax, reflect and make adjustments. I had very good talks with my coach, caddie, manager and physio. After a couple of weeks, I started practising again and it looks like we have made the right adjustments.
“I haven’t won since 2014 but it will happen, sooner or later. My game is trending very nicely right now, as my last few results prove.”
Jumeirah Golf Estates’ Earth course has been the home of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship since 2009 but it will be its sibling, the Fire course, that will bask in the spotlight for the Golf in Dubai Championship with the Greg Norman-designed track set to host a professional golf tournament for the very first time.
“I’ve played Fire a couple of times during practice camps with my coach and family,” said the German. “I like it a lot as it’s completely different to the Earth course, it will be a good challenge.
“I always enjoy coming over to Dubai as it offers the full package, great hotels, world-class golf courses and good restaurants. It’s a really nice place to come for a holiday and even though I’ve been and played on plenty of the courses there, I never get tired of visiting.”
The four-time Ryder Cup star will also make a welcome return to the European Tour’s grand finale the following week, having missed out on qualification for the tournament for the first time last year following a frustrating season which saw him finish 68th on the Race to Dubai.
“Last year was hard to be honest,” he said. “Even though I didn’t play my best throughout the season, it hurt me not to qualify for the DP World Tour Championship so, I’m really looking forward to coming back this year.
“It would mean a lot to me to win a title in Dubai, having already secured a trio of victories in Abu Dhabi. Dubai has become one of the high-profile destinations not only on the European Tour but also worldwide. It would be great to add a title there to my resume.”
Kaymer will be joined at the inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship by Danny Willett.
The Englishman has previously enjoyed success in the emirate, winning the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai in 2018 and the Omega Dubai Desert Classic two years previously, just two months before he slipped on the Green Jacket at Augusta National.
“It’s always a pleasure to play in Dubai so hats off to everyone involved in adding this new event to the schedule,” said Willett. “I’ve won a couple of times in Dubai so I jumped at the opportunity of playing another tournament there. The facilities are world class and second to none.
“We’re all very familiar with the Earth course as that hosts the DP World Tour Championship but the Fire course will bring a fresh challenge to us and it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to.”
Attendance at both events will be for invited guests only. Golf fans can follow the action on the Dubai Sports channel in the UAE or by tuning into their local network as well as staying up to date with all of the action at www.europeantour.com and on the European Tour’s social media channels.
The Fire plays more like a links course, so there are more options for playing the ground game and using the contours, especially when the conditions are firm and fast. The wider corridors allowed us to create a variety of different angles and shot-making opportunities, so while it may appear less intimidating than Earth, the course still requires a great deal of thought and execution to score well
GREG NORMAN, designer of both the Earth and Fire courses at Jumeirah Golf Estates.