LIV Golf captain drops clue about future plans after sharing hospital bed picture

Martin Kaymer has confirmed he has gone under the knife for his second operation in the space of two months.

The big German, who memorably sank a six-foot putt at Medinah Country Club to complete a miracle comeback for Europe at the 2012 Ryder Cup, revealed on 18 September that he had shoulder surgery after a "challenging year".

Now he has undergone a procedure on his elbow.

Kaymer told his followers on Instagram that the latest operation should not affect his recovery from shoulder surgery.

"Hopefully, that’s the last of the repairs for a while," the LIV Golf recruit said.

Kaymer added: "Looking forward to starting 2027 fully recovered and ready to play wherever it might be!"

The 41-year-old was referring to the fact LIV Golf's future remains far from certain.

Kaymer joined LIV Golf for its inaugural season in 2022, taking on the captaincy of Cleeks GC. 

The two-time major winner has struggled to recapture his best form in recent years, and his 2026 campaign was another difficult one. 

He finished no higher than a tie for 24th in the individual standings at a LIV event this season, at Andalucia in June, while his best result was a tie for 24th. 

He ended the season ranked 53rd in the league's individual standings, having missed the Adelaide event with the aforementioned elbow injury.

His latest operations will now give him the chance to focus on his recovery ahead of next season, although it remains unclear whether he will be playing on LIV Golf in 2027.

The circuit has faced major uncertainty following the decision of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund to end its financial backing after the 2026 season. 

LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States in September and are working through a court-supervised process to emerge from the ashes. 

London-based credit firm, BC Partners, have agreed to provide $300m in funding but needs a "critical mass" of LIV players to commit to its new era. 

Sources have told GolfMagic they are extremely confident of launching LIV 2.0 in 2027, despite a number of high-profile players to confirm they are leaving. 

Kaymer's former Ryder Cup teammates, Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell. are among those to have bolted. 

Their decisions to walk away after four years with LIV brought the number of departures to 13.

Jon Rahm was the highest-profile player to leave LIV after deeming the terms to remain as "unacceptable". 

Adrian Meronk, David Puig, Abraham Ancer, Charles Howell II, Thomas Piters, Lous Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Lucas Herbert and Tyrrell Hatton have also quit. 

Kaymer is yet to reveal his plans. 

The Financial Times reported last week that LIV enough golfers had committed to keep hopes of a new league alive. 

It is not clear if Kaymer was among the group of 15 players. 

Speaking to to Today's Golfer in July, Kaymer appeared to indicate he would prefer to stick with LIV. 

"Hopefully, I think there's a lot of interest [from new investors] and it's looking good," he said.  

"But we've all been there. If the signature is not there, then it doesn't mean anything," added the German.

"If those investors decide to pull out then we don't play next year on LIV Golf.

"And if they decide to do it, then we have a chance."