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Kaymer admits he practiced less in 2015, leading to mediocre results

Martin Kaymer hasn't played in 2015 like the guy, the prior year, who won The Players Championship and took his second major with a blowout win at the U.S. Open.

He offered candor in his explanation as to why ahead of this week's BMW Masters in China.

“I practiced less,”Kaymer said Wednesday. “It’s pretty simple.”

That's not to say the two-time major winner got lazy, but rather than he shifted focus from the practice range to the gym. However, Kaymer did admit that he spent plenty of time savoring what he accomplished in 2014, even if that came at the expense of his world ranking, which has slipped outside the top 20.

“There’s a time for me to practice hard and wait for the success, and there’s a time for me to enjoy the success that I had,” said the former world No. 1. “Some say it’s right; some say it’s wrong. For me, it’s the best way to enjoy the wins and to motivate myself for new goals for the future.”

Perhaps that motivation starts now, with Kaymer on the outside looking in of the Race to Dubai bonus pool with two events to play this season. Then there's always the Ryder Cup to motivate the German. And the Olympics, too, for which Kaymer showed tepid support.

"I don't even know how it feels to be part of it, because we have no experience in it," he said. "So I'm sure it can be very overwhelming emotionally. So I try to, because there's no experience, I try to see it and try to prepare for the Olympics the same way that I've prepared for a major."


Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.