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Kaymer: Why caddy Craig Connelly is key to unlocking first win in six seasons

Andrew Griffin — Thu, 27 Feb 2020 04:00:32 +0000

Martin Kaymer is pleased to have caddy Craig Connolly back on his bag as he attempts to return to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2014. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

MARTIN Kaymer is hoping to continue his strong start to the 2020 Race to Dubai as he makes his debut at the Oman Open this week.

The German has finished in the top 20 in his three events so far as he looks to change his consistency of the last two seasons into the sort of form that made him the best in the world at the start of the last decade.

The 35-year-old already has a career that would stand up in any era, winning the Race to Dubai and two Major Championships.

He also reached No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings and holed the vital putt as Europe completed the Miracle of Medinah in the 2012 Ryder Cup – an event he would like to feature in in Wisconsin, in September, for obvious reasons.

After changing the trajectory of his driving to get more length off the tee, Kaymer has now turned his attention to his putting in his quest for a first win since the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst – happy that he has on old friend back on the bag as well.

The player who won his first ever Challenge Tour event in 2006, is focused on doing the work to get back to the top, starting this week at Al Mouj Golf.

Kaymer said: “I was just going with the flow the last two or three years and took my game for granted a little bit.

“I didn’t really work on one specific thing and the last few years it was quite clear where my weakness was in my game as I was losing a lot of shots on the green.

“Outside 10 feet I couldn’t make a putt and that led to me not scoring and shooting those low scores that give you an opportunity on the Sunday.

“I worked a lot on the short game over the winter and I also wanted to drive the ball further without screwing up my natural shot, and that takes some planning and communicating with the coach.

“For me, it was more of the mentality of continuing that process as I knew what the other outcome was and that didn’t quite work out for me the last two years.

“I wanted to and needed to change something and become an even more complete player to try and win tournaments again,” added Kaymer, who has also reunited with his old caddy Craig Connelly.

“I really miss that feeling,” Kaymer added. “This year I have a very good plan and I’m trying to qualify for all the big events such as the Ryder Cup, Olympic Games, Masters and The Open Championship.

“I’ve played in all those events before, but this year that’s not going to be the case so it’s something I’m looking forward to try and achieve.

“I can’t really tell you where my game is at right now, which is the exciting thing.” said Kaymer, whose second Major win came in that US Open victory at Pinehurst.

“I know I’m doing the right thing but I’ve just got be patient and let it happen.

“The expectations are quite high because you’re doing everything right and hitting 63 in a practice round.

“But you still need to do that in a tournament so it’s just a matter of time.”

Kaymer is convinced Connelly’s return will help that process.

“It’s nice once you’ve found somebody that you’ve been through the good and the bad times with” he revealed.

“More of the good times really, because we started working together in 2010 and I had a good few years – and he really understands me as a person.

“It’s more about the personality and finding someone that you get along with, understands you and what your goals are.

“He understands that and knows what I’m capable of so it’s nice to be reminded of that sometimes as you forgot.”

“We tend to focus on the things that we aren’t doing great,” said the winner of the 2010 USPGA at Whistling Straits – the venue for the 2020 Ryder Cup.

“But sometimes you need to be reminded of what you have already done in your career and good of a player you are.

“He is a very positive person and that has really helped me,” said Kaymer.

•To follow live scoring in the first round in Oman, click here.

The post Kaymer: Why caddy Craig Connelly is key to unlocking first win in six seasons appeared first on Golf North.

IMG signs up Li Haotong as leading Chinese player looks for more success worldwide

Andrew Griffin — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 14:35:43 +0000

Li Haotong (left) with Phil Mickelson at the 2019 World Golf Championship HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

CHINA’S leading golfer Li Haotong has signed a worldwide management representaion deal with IMG covering all commercial activity.

Haotong has enjoyed a record-breaking career since turning professional in 2011 at the age of sixteen.

The 24-year-old won the inaugural PGA Tour Series-China Order of Merit in 2014 after three wins in the season.

And – having captured his second European Tour title at the 2018 Omega Dubai Desert Classic – he became the first Chinese player to break into the top 50 on the Official World Golf Rankings.

Haotong represented China in the 2016 Olympics, and in December he became the first player from mainland China to feature in the 2019 Presidents Cup International team, under captain Ernie Els.

Haotong, who has been a stablemate of Justin Rose and Tiger Woods at Excel Sports Management, said: “I am very happy to announce I am joining the team at IMG.

“Both in China and, as I’ve played around the world, I have been impressed by everything IMG does in golf.

“From the CGA-HSBC Junior Program I played in as a kid – to the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, to the tournaments I’m playing in the Middle East this month – their strength in China, as well as their truly global reach, is what makes them stand out in the industry.

“I am also excited to see how I can benefit from their incredible network across sports, entertainment and content, and utilise their unique expertise to take advantage of new opportunities reaching out beyond golf too.”

IMG head of golf clients Jay Danzi said: “Li Haotong, along with the likes of Feng Shanshan and Liang Wenchong, is helping to inspire whole new generation of young Chinese golfers with his achievements.

“We are proud to announce him as an IMG client and look forward to working with him to help him continue to break records on course while growing his brand off course – using our extensive reach across entertainment and sports to deliver for him, both in China and internationally.”

Li played 19 European Tour events in his first five seasons as a pro playing in events co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour.

Having qualified as the first Chinese pro to play on the Web.com Tour in 2015 – after his Order of Merit win on the PGA Tour China – Li earned his European Tour card by winning the 2016 Volvo China Open.

Li finished 23rd on the Race to Dubai that season and recorded his best result so far in a Major with a third place behind Jordan Spieth in the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

His final round 63 broke the record for the best round in a Major by a Chinese player and earned him an invite to the 2018 Masters at Augusta.

He lost a play-off with Justin Rose at the 2018 Turkish Airlines Open having claimed the biggest victory of his career in Dubai, at the start of that year.

Li will tee it up in the 15th Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship next week in his first European Tour start of the 2020 season – and the first Rolex Series event of the new year.

IMG has managed giants of the game of golf

Tiger Woods amassed the biggest fortune in golf during his 15 years as a client of IMG. Picture by David Mark from Pixabay

IMG – founded by lawyer Mark McCormack in the 1960s – revolutionised sports management in golf and tennis in particular.

It represented Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, the game’s biggest stars worldwide commercially but their incomes were eventually dwarfed by the game’s biggest star managed by IMG.

Tiger Woods signed for IMG when he turned pro in 1996 and handled his huge sponsorship deals with Nike until the former World No. 1 and his personal manager Mark Steinberg both left the company, and joined Excel Sports Management.

Woods was reported to receive $20million a year from Nike alone, and at his peak earned more than $100million a year from off-course endorsements.

Tiger was a worth a reported $500million when he left IMG nine years ago when he had won 14 Majors, and signed a $200million deal with Nike in 2013.

After his victory at last year’s Masters – following his Tour Championship win in 2018 that scooped $4.6million, his biggest prize money in five years – his career earnings have exceeded $1.4billion.

The biggest prize money winner in the game’s history has amassed more than $122million during his 82 PGA Tour victories.

His win at Japan’s Zozo Championship in October equalled Sam Snead’s record. Phil Mickelson’s 44 wins is the highest by a current player after Tiger.

His latest victory put Woods’ overall fortune at some three times of Jack Nicklaus – whose Major record Tiger would still love to break.

Nicklaus’ great rival Palmer made more money off the course and having been the first player to earn $1million in prize money, was worth an estimated $875million at the time of his death in 2016.

That was slightly more than Tiger – after Woods’ messy divorce after the break up of his marriage in 2009 when he was attacked by his his wife Elin Nordgren after she confronted him about accusations about his cheating with a number of women.

Whatever the extact figures, they are riches Haotong Li can still only dream about. But signing for IMG should obviously help China’s leading player follow in Tiger’s footsteps.

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