PGA Tour golf fans will be seeing a lot of Martin Kaymer in 2018-19 as the German was offered an exemption to play on the U.S.-based circuit despite only playing 11 events in 2017-18.
“I got a special exemption because I was injured for quite some time,” Kaymer said following his fifth-place finish at last week’s Turkish Airlines Open. “With the way the (PGA and European Tour) schedules are working out, I’m very, very glad the commissioner gave me that exemption.”
The revamped PGA Tour schedule was matched by an overhaul to the European Tour schedule as well, which will allow players like Kaymer who hold memberships on both sides of the Atlantic to play in each respective tours biggest events.
“Look at the European Tour schedule from February to June, not much to say about that,” Kaymer said referencing five of the eight Rolex Series events being scheduled after the completion of the PGA Tour’s Tour Championship. “So if you need to go up in the World Rankings and compete in majors you need to prepare properly.”
Kaymer previously lost his PGA Tour membership in 2015-16 after not playing in the required amount of events, but he took up his membership again last season.
Martin Kaymer has lost his status on the PGA TOUR for the 2015-16 season. http://t.co/115vxNM3NC pic.twitter.com/mrBHWbQMBG
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 24, 2015
An injury kept him from competing in the required amount of starts once again, but given his 2014 U.S. Open win and application for exemption in which he has pledged to play in enough events, the PGA Tour granted him an exemption.
Kaymer said he plans to begin his newest PGA Tour campaign at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in January.
