Where in the World is Martin Kaymer?

There are times where I look at a player, think about how they’re a major champion and realize that their first major was over a decade ago and how hard to believe that is. Often times, players are past their prime when I think about this, Martin Kaymer is no different.

Kaymer was another one of those 20-somethings that made onto tour, leaving us waiting for him to take it by storm. You could make the argument that he did, which I will make for you here in a second, but you could also say the opposite. I will also give you that side.

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2010 was the year Kaymer really stood out in the United States. Prior to that year, he had already won 6 times in Europe, but it was his victory at the PGA Championship that really put him on the map.

You may remember that PGA for a different reason though too. That was the one where Dustin Johnson had the bunker controversy, he grounded his club in a bunker that spectators were standing in, but a local rule at Whistling Straits said that all sand was considered a hazard. Johnson was assessed a penalty and kept out of a playoff.

Martin Kaymer ended up defeating Bubba Watson in a 3-hole aggregate playoff to win his first major at age 25.

The next year, after finishing runner-up in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, Kaymer was the number one golfer in the world. He became just the second German to be world number one, only behind Bernhard Langer. He was also the second youngest number one at the time.

The next three years would be inconsistent for Kaymer, splitting his time between Europe and the states. Between 2011-13 he would only notch one win, at the WGC-HSBC Champions,and eight top 10s, while being cut seven times.

He went thought a bit of a swing change in 2011 to try to better shape his draw. He would later call that a “big mistake”, the results spoke for themselves.

After a few years of inconsistency, Kaymer came back with a vengeance in the beginning of 2014. He went wire-to-wire to win The Players Championship over Jim Furyk. The next month, ran away and hid at the US Open at Pinehurst, besting Rickie Fowler and Erik Compton by 8 shots in one of the most dominant major victories in recent memory.

The wins would vault him back to 11th in the world rankings and also made him the first non-British born European to win the US Open.

Unfortunately, this is where most of his success ends. In 2015, he would have just one top 10 finish, while being cut 4 times, two of which were The Masters and PGA Championship. Kaymer failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs, playing in only 13 PGA events and thus, losing his tour membership for failing to play the minimum number of events.

Over the next 3 years, he would have just one top 10, being cut six times in 31 starts. Kaymer has rarely played on the PGA Tour in the last two years, even. 7 starts, only making one cut since 2020.

Martin Kaymer’s career was marred by wild inconsistency, even when he was having success. He has 50 career major starts, has been cut 19 times, with just six top 10’s, half of those coming in 2010.

He hasn’t made a cut at a major since the 2019 US Open where he finished 14 shots behind winner Gary Woodland.

Kaymer has tried to regain his old form on the European Tour, he has been in contention a few times, but still inconsistency haunts him.

The future is somewhat uncertain for what was once a fresh baby face 20-something from Dusseldorf, Germany. He is 36 years-old now, but it doesn’t seem like the PGA Tour is at the end of the tunnel.

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Still though, you have to give the man credit for grabbing a pair of major titles. He was at least consistent enough for four days to win them. That’s something the an overwhelming majority of players can’t say they’ve done.

Having said that, Kaymer will still probably be considered one of the best European golfers ever. He hasn’t won a ton, but what he has won will put him in Euro golf lore forever.

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