Golf: Campbell makes a major resolution

By DAVID LEGGAT in Paraparaumu

Michael Campbell intends overcoming a major obstacle this year - and that's major with a capital M.

With the exception of his ground-breaking tie for third at the British Open seven years ago, Campbell has flattered to deceive in the majors.

Last year he dipped out after two rounds at the Masters, the United States Open and the US PGA championship.

The only one of the big four in which he lasted the distance was the British Open, where he tied for 23rd place.

With a world ranking which has been inside the top 30 in the last year - he tees off here today at No 29 - Campbell expects more of himself than that.

He has won 11 titles since turning pro in 1993, but the one element on a golfer's CV which separates the great from the good is a major title. Occasionally an exception proves the rule - longtime American professional Andy North won just two career titles, both of which happened to be US Opens.

But 31-year-old Campbell wants to change tack this year in a bid to add a major lustre to his resume.

"Every time I've got to a major I tense up a bit, so I want to not treat them like a major," he said at his pre-Open press conference yesterday. "My majors record over the last two years is very, very poor.

"I want to treat them more like fun, treat them like a normal tournament."

Indeed, Campbell is planning a fresh approach to his golf this year. He acknowledged that he had tended to start and finish his years well, but had been rocky in between.

"We've come to the conclusion that I'm playing too frequently at the start of the year. So this time I'm going to play a little less in Australia, go to the United States early and play a few tournaments leading up to Augusta. My schedule will be based round the majors."

Campbell has just spent six days with his US-based coach Jonathan Yarwood, and ruefully admitted he would probably see more of Yarwood than his family this year.

That is another departure from last year and signalled Campbell's desire to make this a year to push from halfway up Everest to somewhere near the summit.

Since he won the Open here, on his home patch two years ago - an emotion-charged victory marked by a shivers-down-the-spine haka from his large family after the course was deserted later that night - Campbell says he has "learned a lot about myself."

One thing that has changed is his attitude to Tiger Woods. Having squared off against the world No 1 several times, whatever nerves that challenge might have presented are gone.

"Every time I tee up with him I feel comfortable. We've had a lot of fun together, the only thing is when I've played in America I seem to play poorly. Outside America I seem to raise my game a bit more."

Apart from the Johnny Walker Classic three years ago in Taiwan, when he held off Woods to start a magical run of four victories in the early chunk of the 1999-2000 season, the American has generally held the upper hand.

Most recently they took part in a four-way, toe-to-toe in the final round of the World Cup, Campbell and David Smail against Woods and world No 3 David Duval in Japan. Eventually, both were pipped by South Africa in a playoff.

If Campbell brings his rich ball-hitting talent, and his positive philosophy to the first tee today, the cynics who see the Open as a one-Tiger race are in for a pleasant surprise.

Leaderboard

Full coverage: NZ Golf Open 2002

Quick guide to the Open

The course

The players

Past winners

Timetable

Tickets

Off the course: news related to the NZ Open