Martin Kaymer To Miss LIV Golf League Opener Through Injury

In the days leading up to the start of the LIV Golf League, the circuit has suffered a second injury blow with the announcement that Cleeks GC captain Martin Kaymer will miss the opening tournament at Mayakoba’s El Camaleon Golf Club in Mexico.

The former World No.1 will be replaced by one of the seven players originally dropped for season 2 of the circuit, Laurie Canter. The news comes only two days after it was revealed that Hudson Swafford would be out for six months to recover from hip surgery. 

No details have been given on the nature or extent of the German’s injury, but regardless, it will come as both a blow to him and his team. Kaymer hasn’t played competitively since the LIV Golf Bangkok event last October, and was absent from both the following LIV Golf Jeddah tournament and the season-closing Team Championship at Florida’s Trump National Doral.

In November, Kaymer had wrist surgery to finally end years of struggle. No doubt a further spell on the sidelines will come as a frustration to the two-time Major winner, who had an unspectacular first season with LIV Golf, with a best finish of tied for 11th at the Bedminster New Jersey tournament. 

As for his replacement, Canter was an ever-present in the eight tournaments last season and achieved two top-10 finishes with a tie for eighth in Chicago and a tie for 10th in Bangkok. Canter began the season with Majesticks GC but finished it with the team he will be competing with in Mexico, Cleeks GC. The team was eliminated at the semi-final stage of the Team Championship, where it earned $3m.

While Canter is a natural replacement for Kaymer given his history with the team, it is hardly ideal preparation for the other available members in it, Richard Bland, Graeme McDowell and Bernd Wiesberger, as they aim for a winning start to the season.