Martin Kaymer: Making a caddy my coach will lift me to top of game

Jun 29 2008 By Euan Mclean

YOUNG German star Martin Kaymer knows he shocked the golfing world when he snubbed a string of big name coaches to put his swing in the hands of a caddy.

But the 23-year-old reckons few swing gurus could match the experience of top-level golf that Fanny Sunesson has amassed over 20 successful years on tour.

When it comes to understanding the pressure of closing out major tournaments there are few better qualified than the woman who walked shoulder-to-shoulder with Nick Faldo for nine successful years in the 1990s.

While Faldo has since packed his clubs away to focus on his American TV career Sunesson is still out there lugging bags, currently for her fellow Swede Henrik Stenson.

Yet Kaymer reckons it's only a matter of time before the most famous caddy on tour is equally well known for her coaching prowess as his game continues to rise.

He said: "Fanny is starting out with me but I believe over the next few years she will help more young players come through to achieve a lot in the game.

"People were definitely surprised when I chose her as my coach because she is better known for her work as a caddy.

"But she has been on tour for 20 years and is one of the best caddies out here. If she talks, you listen.

Carefully. "She is so good at passing on a lot of her experience especially on the tough courses like Augusta and Wentworth which are pretty new to me but she has walked themhundreds of times over the years.

"I first met Fanny five years ago when she was doing some work with the German national amateur team.

"She helped us learn a bit about course management and forming strategies and from then on we kept in touch pretty much every month.

"We had a good connection and over the last two years started working increasingly closely to the point where we were talking every week and now she helps me prepare for every tournament."

As a caddy Sunesson has associated herself with some of the biggest names in the game including Faldo, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter.

So it should be no surprise that when it came to carving out a career in coaching she turned to one of the most respected names on the range in the shape of English swing king David Leadbetter.

The tips she picked up from the legendary coach are now paying dividends for her first student.

And her part in Kaymer's remarkable start to his professional career could yet pave the way for her prodigy to team up with the old master Faldo at this year's Ryder Cup.

Kaymer's impressive start on the European Tour last year saw him clinch five top 10 finishes and the coveted title of Rookie of the Year - the first German to claim that honour.

Obvious tags as the next Bernhard Langer soon followed and are only sure to intensify if he goes on to follow his legendary countryman's footsteps all the way to the Ryder Cup in September.

Martin's recent good form that saw him win last week's BMW International Open in Munich has propelled him right into the mix for one of the 10 automatic places in captain Faldo's line-up for Valhalla.

Kaymer is now sitting fourth in the European points list after surviving a final-day scare last Sunday when he let slip a six-shot lead.

The youngster - who threw in a horror triple bogey in the final round in Munich when he put two balls in the lake - looked to have blown it when he ended up in a nailbiting play-off with Anders Hansen.

But the player showed his mettle by recovering his composure to go back out and win it on the first extra hole.

That's the kind of guts under pressure Faldo will need in the heat of Kentucky so even if Kaymer ends up falling just short in the rankings there's every chance the skipper could yet throw him a wild card pick.

And Faldo may find the pressure to pick the German hard to resists if Sunesson picks up the phone to offer a glowing recommendation of her young prodigy.

Kaymer said: "Fanny doesn't talk much about Faldo but I imagine there must be some influence from her years working with him that she uses in her work with me.

"Maybe she can put a good word in for me ahead of the Ryder Cup!

"But while people have mentioned me making the Ryder team I still can't make it a target at this stage because there are a lot of big tournaments coming up.

"If I can do well at places like Loch Lomond and The Open then the qualifying points will look after themselves and I will have a good chance to play in Kentucky.

"But there's no point in thinking way ahead about making the team because the key to qualifying is just to focus on the present and doing well in every tournament as it comes."

As for the inevitable comparisons with Langer, that is something Kaymer wisely takes with a pinch of salt knowing the best way to handle the pressure of a nation's expectations is not to jump on your own bandwagon.

He insisted: "They are expecting a lot of me in Germany where they are looking for the new Langer.

"But all I can do is try my best and see just how far I can go.

"I've never talked to Bernard about the expectation to follow in his footsteps. Last time we spoke was at Augusta when we played a practice round and he just helped me out with advice about the course and how to approach it.

"On the whole the impact from my start on tour has been really positive.

"I have been paired to play with a lot of good players and the media interest is extremely high, especially back home.

"With that of course comes more expectation but the pressure aspect comes more from other people. I'm just playing golf and having fun and doing not too bad so far."

Scots fans will be able to see what all the fuss is about when Kaymer tees up at Loch Lomond a week on Thursday for the Barclays Scottish Open where another good finish will galvanise that Ryder Cup challenge.

Martin said: "Loch Lomond is one of the best courses we play all year on tour.

"It's a beautiful area, big prize money and a strong field so it's such a nice tournament overall.

"My experience last year could have been better. I made the cut but never really troubled the leaders but I'll be hoping to get higher this time.

"The biggest thing I learned last year is that you have to be really straight off the tee to give yourself a chance.

"I'm feeling good about my game just now especially after my victory in Munich. To be the first German to win that tournament was fantastic.

"Success in my own country was special. I was leading after three days with six shots and suddenly they were gone. I didn't keep my patience but will know better for next time and I'm pleased at the way I just kept fighting and eventually got the win."