No. 1 Kaymer wants to play past Round 2

There's never been so much uncertainty surrounding the world's No. 1-ranked player's ability to contend in the Masters Tournament as there is this year.

Germany's 26-year-old Martin Kaymer, who is in his sixth consecutive week at No. 1, understands.

Since the Official World Golf Ranking was created April 6, 1986, the No. 1 players the week of the Masters have been former or eventual champions (Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Fred Couples, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods) or other stars (Greg Norman, a three-time Masters runner-up).

Kaymer? He hasn't made a cut in three Masters appearances, and he is 12-over par for six rounds. He missed the cut by a shot in 2008 and by two strokes in 2009 and 2010.

"If you miss the cut three times, then I think it cannot get really worse," said Kaymer, explaining why he changed his pre-Masters schedule by dropping the Houston Open before this week's Masters.

In the past year, Kaymer has won five times, including late January's Adu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship by eight shots. He also won the European Tour's Race to Dubai (leading money winner) in 2010.

Kaymer has worked on adding a draw (a right-to-left shot) to his shot selection just for Augusta National Golf Club's dogleg left holes such as Nos. 2, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14. He said he hopes it will help him get in four rounds this year.

"I did it in the practice round (Tuesday), and it worked out well," Kaymer said. "So I don't see a reason why I shouldn't try it on Thursday or the other days. Hopefully, on the weekend, too."

Kaymer said he is surprised to be at the top of the ranking at his age, but he's enjoying it, especially this week.

After he finished second at the WGC-Match Play Championship on Feb. 27 to take over the No. 1 spot, he said, "I thought it would be quite nice to tee it up in Augusta as the No. 1 in the world. I wouldn't say it's important, but it's a nice feeling."

Kaymer's new-found status as king of the hill has been noted by Augusta National.

In Thursday's first round, he will tee off at 10:19 a.m. in a group with Lee Westwood and Matt Kuchar, who is No. 10 in the world.

It is the second year in a row Kuchar has played the opening two rounds with the No. 1 player -- he was in Woods' group last year.

Kaymer and the rest of the 99-player field realize the "spring training" portion of the pro golf schedule is over now. The first of four major championships, the Masters is followed by the U.S. Open in June, the British Open in July and the PGA Championship in August.

"Things get serious from now for the next couple of months," said Englishman Justin Rose.

Just ask Woods, the four-time Masters champion who hasn't won at Augusta National since 2005. More to the point, he hasn't won anything in the past 16 months as he tries to rebound from scandal and work his way through the third swing change since he turned pro in 1996.

Woods, who has dropped to seventh in the ranking, had his game face on Tuesday, especially when a reporter asked, "Have we seen the best of Tiger Woods?"

"No," Woods shot back.

Woods, who has 71 career victories on the PGA Tour, was asked to elaborate.

"I believe in myself," he said. "There's nothing wrong with believing in myself. That's the whole idea, that you can always become better."

KAYMER'S CHANCES of winning seem so unlikely that during an interview in the media center Tuesday, more questions were asked about who he thinks will win the Masters than the state of his game.

One variation on that question came when he was asked who he saw as the more dominant player at Augusta: Woods or Phil Mickelson, the defending champion?

"I think Phil," Kaymer said. "I think especially after last week, the way he won (16-under on the weekend in the Houston Open). So I think he has good chances again."

Kaymer also likes Mickelson over Woods because as a left-handed golfer, Mickelson "can fade the ball all day long on the golf course."

Told of the German's comments, Mickelson jokingly said, "I would love Martin Kaymer to play the golf course left-handed."

No. 14-ranked Nick Watney, one of the top Americans in the field, said he believes Woods and Mickelson are "equally dominant" at Augusta National.

"Phil, obviously as of late, and Tiger early," Watney said. "That's kind of like that's 1-A and 1-B. I would have a really hard time picking one or the other."

Kaymer likes Luke Donald, who beat him 3 and 2 in the finals of the Match Play Championship in February, as his favorite to win this week.

"The way he played against me in the Match Play, and his short game is unbelievable," Kaymer said. "I think obviously he's not the longest, but he's very straight, and his short game is fantastic."

Kaymer said he asked Donald how he got his short game at such a high level.

"He said, 'Don't know.' I said, 'OK, I understand.' "

"Just hard work," Donald said Tuesday afternoon when told of Kaymer's remarks. "I believe in the fundamentals my swing coach, Pat Goss, teaches, and I'm very conscious about working on those fundamentals. There's no real trick to it; just putting in the time."

After an 11-week offseason break, Donald has played four times this season: a win in the Match Play, a tie for sixth in the WGC-Cadillac Championship, a tie for 10th in the Honda Classic and a missed cut in his first event back on Feb. 17.

"I would have been a little more nervous coming into this week if I hadn't played well in those four weeks," Donald said. "I'm playing well; I've got a lot of confidence.

"I need to go out there and not get in my own way," he said. "And stay away from big numbers, which you can find around here, and take advantage of the par-5s. I need to hole some putts and putt like I do usually every week. If I can make a few more putts and birdies, I think I'll be in good shape."

DONALD WAS AMONG the players who braved the cool temperatures and blustery winds Tuesday for a practice round, even if it was just nine holes.

"It's soft, and I don't think they mowed the fairways because it was so wet," Donald said. "The rough is a little bit lusher, the fairways are lusher, and the greens are not as fast. It's certainly not going to be like that on Thursday."

Because of the conditions, Mickelson scratched his scheduled Tuesday practice round and moved it to today.

Did Donald get anything out of playing the course under those conditions Tuesday?

"You get familiarity by just playing the course," he said. 'You still learn stuff. It's not going to be the same, but at least I've played here a few years, and I know what to expect."

With a favorable weather forecast for the tournament days, will the winning score approach the 16-under 272 Mickelson shot last year, tying Woods for the second-lowest winning score since 2001? Woods set the tournament record 270 in 1997.

"What do the green jackets want?" Graeme McDowell asked. "Do they want even par to win it or 15-under?"

"The golf course is in absolute perfect golf shape," Woods said. "It will be pretty neat come tournament time when this place dries out just a little bit. It will play long, and I'm sure the greens will get up to speed. With the wind drying it out, it's going to be one heck of a test this week."

Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 ordavid.westin@augustachronicle.com.