Kaymer enjoying tougher Turnberry conditions

By Patrick Johnston

TURNBERRY (Reuters) - The tougher the challenge the happier in-form Martin Kaymer becomes, the German said after carding a level-par 70 in a blustery second round at the British Open on Friday.

With the wind picking up after a benign opening day, many players found scoring difficult at Turnberry's Ailsa Course but Kaymer thrived as he reached the halfway stage on one-under-par 139.

"It played totally different today but I like it like this," the world number 11 told Reuters.

"You just have to see it as a challenge, see how you can manage the wind.

"It is a major, the best field all year long, it should be difficult and we (professionals) should show what we can do."

Kaymer, 24, bidding for a third successive win after back-to-back titles at the French Open and Scottish Open, said he may have dropped out if it had been a regular tour event this week.

"Usually you take the week off after a win," he said. "I should have taken the week off at Loch Lomond (last week) but I was happy (I didn't)."

Kaymer, who became the first German to land the European Tour rookie of the year award in 2007, started slowly with bogeys at the third, seventh and eighth.