Say what you like about Martin Kaymer—and there are those who have done just that during the two-and-a-half years since he made his controversial switch to LIV Golf. But the former PGA, U.S. Open and Players champion (and the man who holed the putt to climax the “Miracle at Medinah” that was Europe’s unlikely victory at the 2012 Ryder Cup) has always merited the utmost respect, both as a player and a person. Intelligence and integrity have been two of the 39-year-old German’s more noticeable qualities.

All of which adds to the disappointment the former World No. 1 feels as he relates some of the abuse he was subjected to in the wake of his arrival on the Saudi-backed circuit as captain of the Cleeks GC.

“I wish everyone had treated each other in a respectful way back then,” Kaymer says. “Had that happened, I would have missed a few people on the DP World Tour. But after the way we were treated, I soon discovered that most of the relationships I had were based on superficial stuff. I have found out who my friends really are.

“I have had to listen to players who are on the board of the European Tour bad mouth me,” he continues. “They have talked so much rubbish about certain things. I have to laugh, especially as I saw them talking to LIV. They wanted to be here themselves. So while I respect them as players, do I miss them as people? Not really.”

One tournament particularly sticks out in Kaymer’s mind. While invited to play at the 2022 BMW International Open in Munich, an event he won in 2008, the reception he received was frosty at best, including a post-round TV interview on Sky Sports that in Kaymer’s view made no attempt to hide the negative attitude regarding his career decision.

“Another player who is on the DP World Tour board said some things to me after that event,” Kaymer added. “Right after that event, he told me that, had he been me, he would have taken the LIV contract and told everyone he wasn’t ever going to play on the DP World Tour again. He said it was wrong for me to be there in Germany and play.

“I found his view ridiculous, especially when I later saw him walking into a house in Florida to speak to Greg Norman. I mean, come on. It’s a joke. He thought I shouldn’t be able to play in my own country, in an event I have won and in front of people who want me to be there. That was his position. And he did it in such an aggressive way. I mean, why did he even care? It is my career.”

With the passage of time many views have softened on both sides of the LIV/DP World divide. Or, at least, shifted.

“Back then they were against us,” Kaymer says. “Now there is a lot of jealousy. I believe a lot of DP World Tour players think the tour should have gone with LIV. The PGA Tour only dealt with the DP World Tour because they had to do so if they wanted to keep the Europeans away from LIV. That’s how it feels to me. I have to be honest. If you are jealous and want the things I have, say so. But don’t talk rubbish about me.”

On the course at least, things have been pretty quiet for a while now, which is good and bad. Sidelined by a wrist injury that saw him spend six months on the sidelines back in 2022, Kaymer has struggled to regain first fitness, then form. But things are looking up.

“This is the first time since 2021 that I am playing injury-free,” he reports. “It’s been a long road to where I am now. But I am excited by what lies ahead, especially the thought of not taking pain-killers. I’m turning 40 in a couple of weeks, which I mention only because all the tests I have had done say that my body is that of a 30-year-old. That’s good to hear. I feel healthy and I have a good plan in place for the next few weeks until LIV starts here again early next year.

“2022 was tough. I could barely play. I couldn’t practice. All I did was play the LIV events. 2023 I came back after the surgery, so it was ‘normal’ that I didn’t get the best out of my game. But this year really has been frustrating. I thought that, having had surgery at the end of 2022, I would be OK. But I wasn’t. My wrist was still an issue. So I had good days and bad days.”

Mostly bad, as even a quick glance at Kaymer’s 2024 play on LIV reveals. In 13 starts, his best effort was a T-9 finish in Houston. In almost exactly half of his rounds (20 of 39) he failed to break par. That is ugly stuff from a man good enough to win 11 times on the DP World Tour.

“My grip changed, which is one of the toughest things for any golfer to handle,” says Kaymer, playing this week at the PIF Saudi International, where he is tied for 58th heading into the final round. “I was standing over the ball not feeling comfortable. It has taken a while for that to get better. Thankfully, I now have a grip that allows me to feel comfortable. Going forward, it’s all about gaining confidence and believing in myself. I’m hitting more and more good shots and really feeling more and more confident about my technique. I should be 100 percent ready for the 2025 season.

“Being away from the game was difficult,” he reflects. “I still felt like I should be out there. But I wasn’t, which led to me thinking too much. My body just wouldn’t let me do the work you need to do to compete at this level. Maybe I was a little too arrogant. I thought, even at 60-70 percent, I could still keep up. But I couldn’t. I was shorter off the tee for a long time. You can’t compete on tour unless you are long. But I thought I could. I was wrong.”

Life is looking up though. At this stage of his career and his life, Kaymer is seeing more positives than negatives, even if the prospect of him captaining Europe in the Ryder Cup, a long-held ambition, appears remote.

“I’m not really interested in playing 25 tournaments every year,” he says. “I like the team aspect of LIV. I enjoy all of that. Plus, I don’t want to be away from my family 30 weeks a year. That’s not for me at this stage of my life. I’m not interested in living in America. If you want to play on the PGA Tour you have to live there.

“Why did I join LIV?” he continues. “Because it is fun and it’s a great project. I enjoy all of that. Plus, I don’t want to be away from my family 30 weeks a year. That’s not for me at this stage of my life. I am certainly more humble than I was three years ago. I appreciate good golf more. I took it for granted before. Every week I thought I could win. Then I went from that to just trying to get through the week with a decent score. That’s a big adjustment. But I am getting there. I can hit all the shots I used to hit. I’m just as long off the tee. I’m not scared to hit through the ball when I’m in the rough. I can commit again.”

No surprise there, of course.

Main Image: Getty Images / Cliff Hawkins