Pinehurst, North Carolina: Martin Kaymer was tired of seeing critics rip him as a one-win wonder who might never again play as well as he had in capturing the 2010 PGA Championship.
The 29-year-old from Dusseldorf silenced many of the comments with a victory last month at the Players Championship, his first US or European title since 2011.
And the relief that triumph brought helped him relax over a treacherous Pinehurst course Thursday on his way to a first-round 65, five-under par, and a three-stroke lead at the 114th US Open.
“It was kind of like an opening for me. It really changed things,” Kaymer said. “It’s a big, big relief that now you can start playing golf again and don’t need to think too much.
“The Players gave me a different status as a golf professional, a lot of respect from people, from the players, a lot of satisfaction for myself.”
The victory also boosted Kaymer’s confidence about adding to his major haul and he shined with birdies on three of the last five holes to distance himself from rivals on day one.
“It’s all about the confidence. When you hit those good shots, it adds a lot of confidence,” Kaymer said.
“No one really should expect me to shoot another 5-under par the next three rounds. I don’t.”
Kaymer said he had been letting the pressure of a long win drought affect him before winning the Players.
“The pressure from all the media, the social media and all that stuff, was annoying sometimes, because you can’t avoid listening to it or reading it,” Kaymer said.
“The outside, they put a lot of pressure on you. And at the end of the day, obviously it’s up to yourself, if you let it get to you or not.
“But you have to be very, very strong to really don’t care. I care about it, I read it once in a while, and therefore it was quite nice to get that out of here, the pressure and all the negativity.
“That obviously helps a lot for you as a person but more as a golf player.”
Kaymer can now go on social media without wondering if more abuse is waiting for him there.
“You read over and over again in newspapers, on Facebook, on all those golf web sites - ‘Is he ever going to come back? Is he a one-hit wonder with a major win?’” Kaymer said.
“Those things, it’s not nice to read, but I can understand why people think like this. It’s quite normal. Which was just very nice for me that I knew deep inside that I never really doubted anything of what I’m doing.
“I can understand why they did, because there was not much success after I became the number one in the world, but at the same time it was quite funny, because I knew that it’s just crap.
“I’m very secure about myself. I know what I am doing. I was very fortunate to be in that position to experience that, the highs and lows. I’m sure there are going to be other lows in my career. I can accept it a lot better.”
Zimbabwe’s Brendon de Jonge, Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, American Fran Quinn and South Korean-born American Kevin Na shared second on 68 with a huge pack another stroke adrift.
De Jonge opened with three-putt bogeys at 10 and 11 then battled back with birdies on three of the last five holes on the back nine and another at the fifth.
“It was nice to get it back after that start,” he said. “I just told myself everybody is going to make some bogeys at here.
“Anything under par is very pleasing.”
World number one Adam Scott struggled to a 73, making four bogeys against a lone birdie, while reigning Masters champion Bubba Watson stumbled to a 76.
“I just didn’t make the putts I needed to make,” Watson said. “To shoot six-over is not where you want to be after one day. This week I’m just not very good.”
Scott, the 2013 Masters winner, was not ready to write off his chances for a second major title this week.
“I’m a little disappointed,” Scott said. “I played better than what I ended up shooting. You have to scramble hard at a US Open, especially this one, but not too much damage done.
“I can shoot five or six shots better tomorrow if I have a nice day around the greens.”
Reigning British Open champion Phil Mickelson, a six-time US Open runner-up trying for a win to complete a career grand slam, opened on 70.
“I putted OK,” Mickelson said. “I didn’t give any away on the short ones but I didn’t make any of those I needed from 15 to 20 feet to have a really good round.”
Rory McIlroy, coming off a win at Wentworth last month, birdied the 18th from 10 feet to finish on 71.
“I stayed patient and got rewarded with a birdie at 18,” McIlroy said. “It was a grind out there at times but to shoot plus-one was a solid day. I just have to work on my speeds on the greens.”
