Siem fishing for success at Whistling Straits

Marcel Siem finds fishing on Lake Michigan provides ideal respite from the intensity of challenging for the Wanamaker Trophy at the 2015 USPGA Championship

The waters of Lake Michigan, which define one flank of the Straits Course at Whistling Straits, look appealing from the televised images of the 2015 USPGA Championship. Marcel Siem, the German golfer in contention in the year’s final major, confirms the lake is as clear and inviting close-up as it is from a distance.

“The bonus would be to catch a fish today,” started Siem after his second round on Friday, after which two rounds of 70 left the German well placed on four under par and in a share of 15^th place, midway through the storm-delayed second round. “I haven't caught one fish in the last three days, so maybe it will turn something around if I catch a fish, maybe then I'll get a three or four-under round in.

“The fishing here is awesome. I'm staying on the lake, and it's beautiful to swim there as well. The water is so clean that you see the fish swimming towards your worm, but they haven't bitten yet. It’s a great place here. I would love to swim there right now, because my head and my brain are fried.”

Siem is playing in his third USPGA Championship this week, and he is in place to improve on a previous best result of tied-36^th in 2012 at Kiawah Island. He is hoping some time spent on the quayside will enable him to recharge for the challenges that lie ahead over the weekend.

“Having a distraction always helps I think,” said Siem. “When your game's in good shape you can easily overdo it at a major because you want to do so well and you want to do a bit extra than usual. It's important to get away a little bit and just chill out.”

Marcel Siem is a Mercedes-Benz golf brand ambassador, and Mercedes-Benz is the Official Car of the 2015 PGA Championship.