Missing the last putt in the Ryder Cup could have destroyed his career, says Martin Kaymer
The Ryder Cup hero Martin Kaymer has said that it could have been his career’s most devastating moment, if he had missed the five-foot putt on the 18th green, which he sank to defeat Steve Stricker in the Sundays Singles.
Kaymer’s victory over Stricker confirmed European team’s victory over the United States team, marking the biggest comeback in the history of the game.
Entering the final day, the European team was trailing the US team by four strokes, as the scoreboard displayed 10-6 in favour of the Americans.
Therefore, the Europeans desperately needed to secure at least eight points to retain the trophy – in case of a draw, the trophy remains with the defending champion.
The European players stunned their opponents by winning seven of the first 10 singles matches and the scores levelled at 13-13.
Thereafter, the tournament entered into crucial moments, where Kaymer and Stricker faced each other.
Entering the 17th hole, the scores were all-squared, before Kaymer took the lead by recording a par putt on the 17th hole, against Stricker’s bogey.
Afterwards, the 18th hole witnessed Stricker finishing his campaign with a par putt. In the meantime, Kaymer still had to drain a five-foot par putt to score a point for his team.
He then softly tapped the ball that went straight into the hole, confirming 14 points for the European team.
Thereafter, Francesco Molinari halved with Tiger Woods, ensuring an outright victory for the Europeans.
"I sometimes think about what would have happened if I had missed it. Would I have had the mental strength to recover from thinking I had let down a whole continent? I had a similar putt to win my first major, the U.S. PGA in 2010, but the feeling was completely
different,” he said
"If I had missed that one it would have been my own fault and I would have moved on to the next major. But letting down so many people? That doesn't bear thinking about," he added.
According to him, the Ryder Cup heroics turned his poor season into a great one. Before the Ryder Cup, he was struggling with his form. The Ryder Cup victory provided him with the confidence, which he used to end his winless streak, by winning the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
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