Report: Major champion, 40, targets audacious 2027 Ryder Cup return

Former World No.1 Martin Kaymer has confirmed he has aspirations to still make at least one more appearance for Europe at the 2027 Ryder Cup. 

The German, now 40, is best known for winning the PGA Championship and US Open as well as holing the putt that ensured Europe retained the Cup in 2012 at Medinah. 

He was among the first wave of players to be recruited by the PIF-backed league three years ago alongside the likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Henrik Stenson. 

The golfer resigned his DP World Tour membership so as to not keep invoking fines and suspensions but over the last couple of years has accepted invites from tournament sponsors to take part in events such as the BMW International Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. 

Kaymer told bunkered that he will continue with this approach but has no plans to try and get his membership back until he feels he can compete at that level. 

"I'm not going to pick up my European Tour card next year," Kaymer told the publication. 

"Hopefully, in 2027 – there's a Ryder Cup year – if I feel like I have a chance to make the Ryder Cup, then I will join. Otherwise I stick with LIV.

"I have still an exemption for six, seven, eight years through my success that I had in the past. So that gives me all those years. 

"Basically, I just wait until I feel like I'm good enough to compete on a level that I feel like I can be in the Ryder Cup."

Kaymer's goal may raise a few eyebrows, given the German has only registered three top-10 finishes across his four-year stint with LIV Golf. 

In fairness to Kaymer, he has struggled with a wrist injury that first surfaced in 2023. 

A torn tendon in his left wrist saw him miss the end of the 2022 season as well as the first three tournaments of 2023. 

Kaymer told reporters last year that it was the first time he was playing golf "pain free" in four years.

Elsewhere, Kaymer confirmed that he is currently negotiating a new LIV contract. 

Plenty of high-profile players' deals are up for renewal and it is understood the likes of Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson have agreed to stay on. 

The same can be said for Bryson DeChambeau, who is reportedly in advanced talks to extend his stay. 

Kaymer said he wants to play on LIV for the next five years but conceded he's unlikely to be handed a contract that length given his age.

The Cleeks captain is also on the hunt for a new player after Frederik Kjettrup was relegated.

Kjettrup was hand-picked by Kaymer but endured a woeful season. 

Former Open champion Henrik Stenson and PGA Tour star turned golf's yeti, Anthony Kim, were also among those that the boot.

"We have probably 10, 12, 15 names on our list that we're looking at," Kaymer said. 

"Interest from their side, interest from our side, and now we look into stats to make a leaderboard.

"Who would be statistically the best player from those on the list? Then we make a leaderboard, and then we go from there. But we’re still in the early process right now."

Former OWGR head expresses regret

For the time being, LIV will continue without accreditation from the governing body that awards world ranking points. 

LIV first applied for OWGR accreditation in July 2023 but were rejected. 

A furious Greg Norman then told LIV players the breakaway tour was abandoning its pursuit, only for his replacement Scott O'Neil to confirm a renewed bid had been made earlier in the year. 

Former OWGR chairman Peter Dawson has given an in-depth interview to the Global Golf Post whereby he expressed his regret that the situation could never be resolved before his retirement. 

"It is self-evident that players on the LIV tour are good enough to be ranked because they were before," he said.

"But OWGR has a duty to ensure that all of the thousands of players in the system are ranked equitably.

"Some aspects of the LIV format made that impossible. In my opinion OWGR made the only decision it could at the time."

Dawson also expressed surprise that LIV's financiers were continuing to invest in the product.