Golf: Campbell rewinds to 1995 for clues

Michael Campbell

ST ANDREWS - Michael Campbell will prepare for this week's British Open Championship by nightly watching highlights of his near success a decade ago at St Andrews.

Long-time coach Jonathon Yarwood arrived at St Andrews with video highlights of all four rounds of the 1995 British Open when Campbell led going into the last round before ending in third place.

Campbell and his family, along with parents Tom and Mary, moved into their rented premises on Monday and Campbell was on the first tee of the Old Course at 11am yesterday to play a first practice round with Ernie Els, a dual US Open champion and winner of the 2002 British Open at Muirfield.

Campbell was decked out in one of his Cambo designed bright red shirts, similar in design to the one worn during the final round of his stunning Pinehurst success.

The pair of US Open winners teed off in brilliant cloudless skies and accompanying Campbell was his father, Tom, and Yarwood.

"How good is this?" said Yarwood as he walked on to the first fairway to join Campbell.

But Yarwood's thoughts quickly turned to the task at hand and that is working towards Campbell becoming the first repeat major winner since Tiger Woods won the US Masters and US Open titles in 2002.

"It is a coach's dream when someone you coach wins a major, but I am just a small cog in a big wheel," Yarwood said. "I was just glad to play my part in his win, but that was last month and he and I are both focused on this week, and this week only.

"I am pleased he played the European Open, and made the cut, because he needed to get his clubs back out and get his feet back on the ground.

"But the way he won in America is like he has rid a number of monkeys off his back, and I believe we will now see even more of the real Michael Campbell that we know has always been there.

"And how great it is for him that his first major after winning at Pinehurst is the British Open at St Andrews, where he nearly won 10 years ago.

"I have brought with me the video of that British Open and we will be sitting down watching it a few nights before the start of the championship just to get the memories going."

The Old Course has been lengthened appreciably since 1995 from 6340m (6339 yards) to 6655m (7279 yards) this year with the 12th, 13th and 14th holes, in particular, all to play appreciably longer.

"We know they make changes every year to the courses they use, but it is always very interesting to look back over the old videos to see where they put the pins and how the course reacts," Yarwood said.

"The fact Michael did so well here in 1995, it will be good to see how he reacts all week."

- NZPA