Abu Dhabi: In a soccer-mad country young German Martin Kaymer was forced to choose between football and golf when he was 14. Kaymer, now 24, chose to play the individual game and his performance in the 2006 Challenge Tour has made him one of German media's poster boys, tipped to step into the shoes of Bernhard Langer.
"Yes I do feel the pressure but somehow in a positive way. I know I have to do well," said Kaymer, who registered a hot round of six-under 66 to lead after the first day's action in the $2 million (Dh7.5 million) Abu Dhabi Open Championship.
"I started playing football at two and soon my parents introduced golf to us. At 14, I found it difficult to play both football and golf so I decided on golf. You are your own boss in this individual game whereas in football you rely on 10 others," said Kaymer, who won two tournaments and also recorded four top-five finishes in 2006 to finish fourth on the final rankings of the Challenge Tour - all from just eight events!
He may be just 24 but the promising German has realised the need for a good holiday and attributes his good round yesterday to a vacation he had over the winter. "I needed a long break. I felt the energy was gone so I took a long break after China in November."
"However, I practiced through the break as I love to play golf. I took time off practicing in Arizona and it was very difficult as my girlfriend lives in Spain," he said.
The youngster said he was not thinking of a place in the Ryder Cup just yet. "Right now I am not thinking of it. There is a lot of expectation from me back in Germany and I just want to keep playing well consistently," he said.
"When I was about 14 or 15 Bernhard Langer was my role model. His great swing and his calmness, even when the crowd was roaring over his birdies and eagles... it was superb. He is a big hero in Germany."
Rain supreme: Poulter pounces in pro-am
With seemingly endless rain falling on the UAE capital, the Al Masaood Pro-Am - the traditional curtain-raiser to this weekend's Abu Dhabi Golf Championship - went ahead at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club's National Course.
The four-man teams consisted of one professional - including defending champion Paul Casey (ALDAR), Scottish maestro Colin Montgomerie (Al Masaood), world No 7, Adam Scott, and 2007 Open Champion, Padraig Harrington (both Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority) - as well as three amateur players from the Championship's associated sponsors and guests.
With the forecast improving with every hour, English pro Ian Poulter - joined by Eirvin Knox, Leon Der Ohanessian and Rudolf Jurcik - in the Standard Chartered Bank team, made the most of improving conditions to post a very impressive total score of 59 to lift the top prize.
