KEY POINTS:
Bill MacGowan was in a packed bar on New Orleans' famed Bourbon St on the balmy Sunday night when Michael Campbell holed the putt that won the 2005 US Open.
The reaction of those around him at the time became a catalyst in MacGowan's decision to take on
the chief executive role vacated by Larry Graham at New Zealand golf's ailing national body.
Regarded by many in and outside sport as a "Mr Fixit", MacGowan, the sixth person in the role at New Zealand Golf in eight years, is under no illusion about what he is tackling.
"People are telling me it will be a far bigger challenge than I faced when I went to New Zealand Soccer," said Scottish-born MacGowan, 55. "I have to be ready for that."
But it was the reaction to Campbell's win which sticks in his mind.
"The place was humming. Everybody was watching a guy from New Zealand - and most didn't even have a clue where it was - win the US Open. That's what people love. We need more of that."
MacGowan is not naive enough to think another Campbell is about to rock up and take the golfing world by storm, or that New Zealand is going to win the next Eisenhower Trophy - as Campbell and his mates did 15 years ago.
But he is determined that finding the next generation of golfing stars should be a priority.
As similar roles in a variety of sports have become vacant in recent months, MacGowan's name has often been cast about as a candidate.
"I'm not sure why," said MacGowan who for almost a year has been chief executive at North Shore Golf Club - the country's largest in terms of membership and its only 27-hole championship course in the country. "I think it might be because I enjoy fixing things.
"I am not a maintenance-type manager. I don't go in to just keep things going as they are. I would not take on something like this if I felt there wasn't a challenge."
He has had his share of those. MacGowan turned his back on a successful corporate life - at the Yates Corporation and P&O Services - to go to Soccer New Zealand in 1995.
"I lasted 15 months before I resigned after delegates at the annual meeting outvoted all the good work we had done."
He then had a year as managing director of the Valentines Restaurant group before being head-hunted to take over from Ian Robson at the Warriors.
MacGowan became a victim of the Tainui cleanout at the club and returned to soccer to run the successful 1999 Fifa World Under-17 Championships.
"After that I re-assumed the chief executive role at NZ Soccer and stayed until late 2004, when I felt it was time to move on."
Soccer and golf have similarities - both have many players, but battle for financial stability.
MacGowan will be at next week's NZG annual meeting and will move to Wellington next month.
He must make immediate appointments in key high performance, operations, commercial/sponsorship and communications/public relations role.
"I also want to get out and talk to people in the game across the board," said MacGowan.
"If we are to unearth another Michael Campbell we have to give talented kids a pathway."
