Martin Kaymer supports mixed clubs at Royal Troon

Martin Kaymer states support for The Open to be played at mixed clubs ahead of the 2016 Open at Royal Troon

Martin Kaymer supports mixed clubs at Royal Troon

The idea of men-only golf clubs does not sit comfortably with Martin Kaymer.

“If I owned a golf club everyone would be welcome,” Kaymer, 31, tells Golf Monthly. “In fact I would like there to be more women than men because I would rather look at a woman than a man on the golf course!”

Kaymer welcomes both the R&A’s decision not to take The Open to men-only clubs in the future, and also the decision by the members of 2016 Open venue Royal Troon to finally admit women into its membership.

Fellow Open venue Muirfield voted to continue to exclude women from its membership in May, but since the R&A's strong stance was announced Muirfield has made a u-turn and will ballot its membership on the issue again before the end of the year.

“Everyone should be allowed onto a golf course and into a golf club: men, women, kids and no matter where you are from,” adds Kaymer. “That is just the way I grew up and how my parents raised me.

“I do understand why some clubs want to be men only. I get it, they want to be on their own, but I absolutely agree with the R&A’s decision.

“We all have weaknesses, men and women, and it is not fair to say that women have more weaknesses then men. You cannot say that.”

Kaymer is twice a major champion, at the 2010 PGA Championship and 2014 U.S. Open, yet he has not won since that U.S. Open at Pinehurst, when he set a U.S. Open record with opening scores of 65-65, going on to win by eight shots.

However, after indifferent early-season form Kaymer has recorded four top-10 finishes in his last six starts on the European Tour.

“I am very happy with the way I am playing right now,” says Kaymer, whose best Open result from eight appearances was a tie for seventh at St Andrews in 2010.

“You want to be prepared as well as possible for particular tournaments yet you can lose the calmness and balance when you play and then you try to force it. This does not work in any sport. Being calm and enjoying what you do – they are very simple, basic things you have to do to perform well.”

Martin Kaymer is an ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, Official Car and Official Patron of The Open