Martin Kaymer looking good, feeling good at The Players Championship

Martin Kaymer hits out of a sand trap by the 11th green Friday during the second round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

By David Wharton

Staff Writer

May 9, 2014 11:42 AM PT

It seems that Martin Kaymer’s formula for winning golf is fairly simple.

“If you hit the ball very well, if you strike it very well,” he said, “you gain confidence.”

Makes sense.

After tying a course record with a first-round 63 at The Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Kaymer continued his self-assured performance with a second-round 69 on Friday, finishing the day at 12-under.

That gave the former PGA champion, an early starter, some cushion with later groups just getting on the course at TPC Sawgrass.

By early afternoon in Florida, a knot of players including Jim Furyk, Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose and Bill Haas were chasing Kaymer at 6- and 5-under.

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David Wharton

David Wharton has filled an array of roles – covering the courts, entertainment, sports and the second Persian Gulf War – since starting as a Los Angeles Times intern in 1982. His work has been honored by organizations such as the Society for Features Journalism and Associated Press Sports Editors and has been anthologized in “Best American Sports Writing.” He has also been nominated for an Emmy and has written two books, including “Conquest,” an inside look at USC football during the Pete Carroll era.

Martin Kaymer looking good, feeling good at The Players Championship

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