US Open Champion Martin Kaymer declared Sheshan International his favourite course in Asia on the eve of the WGC-HSBC Champions, which celebrates its tenth edition this year.
The German won the title in 2011 thanks to a brilliant final round of nine under par 63, and he has finished in the top ten on three of the four other occasions he has played at the Shanghai venue.
The 29 year old has returned to his best form this season, winning the Players Championship on the US PGA Tour and his second Major at Pinehurst in June, before helping Europe retain The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles by contributing two points from four in September.
Since then Kaymer has enjoyed a break from the game, playing just three rounds in the last four weeks, but is now champing at the bit to finish the season strongly.
“I’m really, really looking forward to playing this event,” he said. “It’s my favourite course in the whole of Asia. I’ve always done very well here. It suits my eye a lot and I have shot nine under and ten under in the last two tournaments, so I know I can play very low rounds.
“Since the Alfred Dunhill Links I haven’t played much golf at all. We play so much golf, especially in the last three months, playing on both Tours with the FedEx Cup and then The Ryder Cup. I moved apartments in Germany and it was nice to do something completely different.
“But now I’m ready again and I came here on Monday morning to practise a bit. This is a big week for everyone – it’s a huge event that I’d really like to win again.”
Kaymer offered congratulations to his compatriot Marcel Siem, who won the BMW Masters last week, the first event of The Race to Dubai’s Final Series, the lucrative four-tournament swing to conclude the season.
Siem chipped in for birdie at the first hole of a play-off to take the title, and Kaymer, who chipped in to beat Bubba Watson in the singles at The Ryder Cup, joked: “I sent him a text saying I think we are improving our short games recently.
“It was nice to see and I’m very happy for him. I know how hard he works. He’s jumped to fourth in The Race to Dubai and now he has a chance to finish second – because Rory (McIlroy) is too far ahead to be caught now, I think.”
