Kaymer has experienced a 12 months to remember, winning his first Major at the US PGA Championship last January, claiming the 2010 European Tour's Race to Dubai title and then becoming world number one for the first time in his career in February.

The German has slipped back to number three in the rankings in recent months and will partner the two players above him in the standings, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, in the opening two rounds this week.

But Kaymer has shown he has the temperament for the big occasion and, having finished eighth at Pebble Beach last year, believes he can be one of the leading contenders for US Open glory again if he cuts out the mistakes in his play.

He said: "I have to start okay. If I have an okay start to put myself in an okay position for the weekend then I'm just looking for that great round on Saturday or Sunday.

"Sometimes that great round is not even necessary, just playing solid and avoiding double bogeys, triple bogeys, stupid mistakes."

Kaymer is23.00to win at Congressional, while Donald can be backed at11.00 and Westwood at11.00.

This week will be a step into the unknown in one respect for Kaymer as he teams up with new caddie Christian Donald for the first time. Donald spent seven years caddying for his brother Luke before a season with Paul Casey, and Kaymer is excited at the prospect of the new partnership.

He added: "I don't know how he is as a caddie. I know that he's a very nice guy, a great personality. We get along very well. We will try out a few weeks and then see how it goes.

"His experience that he has from his brother, he caddied for him for seven years and a year for Paul Casey, so that shouldn't be a problem.

"But obviously this is our first week, so it would be a little bit difficult to get used to each other straight away. We will spend a lot of time together talking, about distances, about how I approach a golf course, a little more aggressive or defensive. He just has to know me."

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