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EDS BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP

May 11, 2005

Chad Campbell

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

TODD BUDNICK: We welcome Chad Campbell to the 2005 EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Chad, always a busy week for you as a local guy, I know. First off, let's talk about you started the week I guess with a charity visit at one of the schools. That was a nice little way to start the week as a local player.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Absolutely. I went to J. Erik Jonsson School, the school that the tournament gives a lot of money to, and was there with Sharpie doing the Sharpie Retractable Autographs For Education and just having them sign a board. What they're doing is if they get a million autographs, they'll give a million dollars in funds and scholarships to schools, and I'm also doing another thing with Sharpie this week, the Sharpie mini-Tour, which is a putting contest, which eventually the top four guys will get to play a round of golf with me in Hawaii.

Q. How long does it take to get a million autographs?

CHAD CAMPBELL: It takes a while. It's easier than you think, though. You take it to schools and the kids love it, so it was fun to go out there and talk to them for a little while.

Q. Where are they getting autographs from?

CHAD CAMPBELL: A lot of schools and just people and through the Sharpie mini-Tour, just people coming in and registering for Sharpies and having them sign a wall and putting to win the contest.

Q. An autograph from anybody?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Anybody.

Q. Are you personally going to get 800,000 of those for them?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Well, I helped out this week, so I did my duty this week. I might do a little something later on in the year.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's talk about your play, Chad. You had three Top 10s early in the year. Talk about how you are feeling coming into this week with your play this season.

CHAD CAMPBELL: I felt like I've played all right this year. The first part of the year I had I think those three Top 10s in a row, or pretty close. You know, I had a good finish at Riviera. I feel like I've been playing pretty good, it's just things haven't been coming together. It's something here and there, making a big number, not getting a few balls up-and-down, so just trying to work those things out and trying to take advantage of things whenever I -- mainly on par 5s, I don't feel like I'm taking enough advantage of those holes.

Q. It's really only two official Top 10s, right?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Thanks, Doug.

Q. Just trying to set the record straight.

Has the course changed, the TPC course changed at all since you started playing? How is the rough? Is there enough rough out there to scare people?

CHAD CAMPBELL: The rough is really tough. The overseed goes probably ten yards out in the rough and then it gets a little -- really inconsistent outside of that, but just outside the fairway is pretty nasty. I had a couple balls I couldn't get to the green today.

Q. Were you still playing on the Hooters Tour in '99?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yes.

Q. Did you watch the U.S. Open that year at Pinehurst?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I played in it.

Q. What did you think?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I liked it.

Q. Setup and all that?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I thought it was good. I thought it was a good golf course. I thought it was very difficult. What, did even par win?

Q. 1-under.

CHAD CAMPBELL: I thought it was great. The greens are tough with the slopes off of them. Once you get it up on the flat part, you've got a pretty decent putt at birdie; it's just hard to get it to stop up there.

Q. So you went through probably two stages to qualify, local and sectional?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I did, right.

Q. How many different clubs did you use around the green?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Quite a few.

Q. I know it's a long time ago.

CHAD CAMPBELL: I use L-wedge, 8-iron, pitching wedge, putter. I don't use the 3-wood off the green too much, but that's definitely a possibility. I actually went over there and played it before Charlotte. Like at The Masters this year, I started putting them up those slopes. You're much more consistent doing that. When that's an option I'd definitely take that option instead of flopping it up there.

Q. They had some problems around the greens where they've had to re-sod a bunch because they've had a freeze or something where it was kind of chewed up?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, they were waiting to put some sod down around some of the greens. That's why it looked like it was cut out. They just need some warm weather and I'm sure it'll be in great shape for the tournament.

Q. Do you have any good Byron Nelson stories, first time you met him, anything like that?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I've been pretty lucky, I guess, the last four years or so getting to know him a little better. With my brother being the coach at Abilene Christian, he helps that program out a lot, so they've gotten close, and in turn I've had quite a few encounters with Mr. Nelson.

Q. What's the best thing he's ever said to you?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I can't really remember. Usually it's nothing really -- small-talking about stuff, nothing really about golf too in detail.

Q. You haven't told him that you're just trying to make enough money to buy a ranch and then you're quitting?

CHAD CAMPBELL: That would be nice, wouldn't it, just do that and call it quits? Win 11 in a row and --

Q. Quit the next year?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah.

Q. Will you quit if you win 18 times this year?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I will. I will (laughter).

Q. I'm writing that down to hold you to it.

CHAD CAMPBELL: I might not. It's too fun.

Q. Can you get your mind around 11 in a row at all even though that was in a different era and a different time? Is that conceivable to you?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Not really. It seems pretty impossible actually. I guess he finished 2nd and then won three more in a row; is that correct?

Q. 2nd seven times that year, I know that.

TODD BUDNICK: What did you do on the Hooters Tour, five of the first seven, something like that?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, and to win 11 straight, that's pretty amazing. What's the closest that's ever -- what did Tiger win, six in a row?

Q. And Ben, too.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Hogan won six in a row? I can't imagine winning 11 in a row. That's pretty good golf.

Q. Two in a row?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Two in a row would be nice. Let's start with two in a row.

Q. One in a row is nice.

CHAD CAMPBELL: One in a row.

Q. You say you don't talk much golf with him, but has he ever commented on your swing or anything?

CHAD CAMPBELL: He said he likes the way I play the game. He tells me that he likes the way I handle myself and stuff like that, which means a lot coming from him, for what he stands for on and off the golf course.

Q. You have something new in the bag this week it looks like?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Were you snooping around or what?

Q. It was just sitting right there.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, I've got some different irons.

Q. Are you going to play with like a rain cover on your bag tomorrow?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I don't know.

Q. What are you doing?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Nike irons.

Q. I didn't look that close, Pro Combo?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah.

Q. How long have you been playing with those, about an hour or so?

CHAD CAMPBELL: About a week.

Q. Are you going to leave them in this week?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Possibly.

Q. Are you still searching?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, just kind of looking around, feeling it out, seeing what I like the best and what's the best for me.

Q. Any other irons you played over the year?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Not that I've played competitively, no. I've played with Pings all this year up until this week.

Q. Are you searching because you're not happy with what you've hit?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Not necessarily. I mean, I'm happy with the Pings. I'm just seeing what's all out there. Like I said, I'm seeing what's best for me and what works for me and what I feel comfortable with.

Q. Is that a money thing at all?

CHAD CAMPBELL: We haven't even got into that stuff. I'm just trying irons right now.

Q. Whatever the going rate is for a top-20 guy these days?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I mean, if I don't feel comfortable then I'm not going to go with that company. That's kind of where I'm standing. I'm just testing.

I'm pretty particular on the clubs that I play and I just want to feel very comfortable when I make a decision.

Q. How long do you need to play something before you know whether it does or doesn't work for you?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I mean, you can tell in a couple weeks or so. I mean, I wouldn't think it would take longer than that. There are things, you could be swinging bad and the club is not much of the issue. But you definitely want to have something you can look down on and feel comfortable hitting.

Q. What driver do you hit?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Cleveland.

Q. That's the one thing that's --

CHAD CAMPBELL: Kind of stayed the whole year, the last three, four years.

Q. Which one do you have?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Launcher Comp.

Q. 460?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah.

Q. You have a four-year old driver in your bag? It's like a dinosaur.

CHAD CAMPBELL: No, it's not four years old, it just went up through the ranks, started with a smaller head and worked my way up.

Q. Some guys have -- I want to say it was Andrade, doesn't matter, he said there's this issue of not having a "Tour bag" out there with all the bells and whistles on it. That's never been an issue with you, to have a blank bag? Do you kind of like that?

CHAD CAMPBELL: It's fine. I mean, it doesn't bother me at all. It's just kind of the way everything worked out at the end of last year. I keep saying it, but I just want to play what I feel comfortable playing. You know, on the course is where you make all your money, so you definitely want to have the stuff that you think you're going to perform the best with.

Q. What did you have in high school?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Pings.

Q. Pings all your life pretty much?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yes.

Q. UNLV was Ping?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yes.

Q. Your caddie lives next door to Ryan Palmer. Did you steal him away from Ryan? I know they went to high school, or did Ryan give him to you?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Me and Judd have been friends a long time, maybe as long as him and Ryan have been, even though they grew up in the same town. We've been playing against each other since we were 12 or 13 years old, went to junior college together. We're the same age and have just been best friends for a long time.

Q. Did the three of you guys kind of kick it around West Texas quite a bit in high school?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, it was mainly me and Judd. Palmer I believe is two years younger, so I obviously met him through Judd. Me and Judd have just been friends for a long time now.

Q. What percentage of these guys out here are actually friends with their caddie or have a prior connection with those guys? Seems like some of them are -- there's not really any connection.

CHAD CAMPBELL: I mean, I think it's a little bit of everything. There's a few people that have friends that have been there forever and some people that change week to week. It's worked out well between me and Judd as far as -- he just knows my game so well, we've been playing together for so many years.

Q. Good thing since you don't have a coach.

CHAD CAMPBELL: That's right. Judd is my coach.

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you, Chad.

End of FastScripts.

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