Martin Kaymer feels he is “very close” to returning to winning ways ahead of the 2020 Italian Open.
The German's last victory came when he romped to an eight shot win at the 2014 U.S. Open Championship, as Kaymer claimed a second career Major.
Since golf resumed following the coronavirus shutdown, the 35-year-old has narrowly missed out at The Belfry and Valderrama, before notching another top-ten finish at Wentworth in the BMW PGA Championship.
“It’s a new golf course we’re playing this week, very difficult to say how difficult it will play,” Kaymer said ahead of teeing up at Chervó Golf Club.
“I think we need to wait until the first round and then off we go. It’s a nice place to be, I really like to come to Italy and play golf here.
“There are a few events that I would like to win in my career. Italy, I have been close a couple of times.
“It’s a country that I really like to come to. The people, I like to spend time with then, eat their food. It’s a place that I would like to win one day in my career, absolutely.
“I’m very close (to a win) right now but in order to win you always need that little bit extra compared to the other competitors.
“Even at Wentworth I was playing good. Played three rounds of very solid golf - the first round was not so good – so I could creep into the top ten. That was still a positive looking back on the week.
“This is a new week now, new golf course, slightly different field that we played in Scotland and in England. I feel good about the game, it’s just a matter of putting everything together and hopefully that will be one shot better than the second.”
Kaymer is not the only form player in the field this week, with England's Lee Westwood coming into the week on the back of six consecutive top 20 finishes.
And Westwood is hoping that continuing that run can put him in contention to top The Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex.
“I haven’t really made any goals, just to keep playing well really and maybe have a chance in the last event of the year to win the Race to Dubai,” said Westwood, who currently lies fourth.
“Obviously I did win at the start of the year in Abu Dhabi and it would be nice to win another tournament before the end of the year.”
