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MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 6, 2006

Michael Campbell

KAPALUA, HAWAII

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Michael, for joining us for a few minutes here in the media center at the Mercedes Championship. Another round of 72 today, but a little bit different conditions. Why don't you compare the two days for us and then we'll go into questions.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I think the last couple days has been tough. The first tournament of the year for us, come out in these conditions, I mean, it's tough going out there. Today especially. I said to myself on the first tee, "Shoot even par, it will be a good score. Anything better than that is a bonus."

Obviously, leaves a bad taste in my mouth, the last hole. Besides that, it was a good solid round.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Questions, please.

Q. Do you like these conditions? Do you feel like you have an edge when it's not a putting contest?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah, I'm born in this weather. I grew up playing junior golf in Wellington, New Zealand, which is apparently the second windiest place in the world.

Q. What is the first?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Chicago (smiling). I'm used to hitting, you know, big ducky hooks, big slices, 130-yard 4-irons, stuff like that.

It was a lot of fun out there. Normally you go out there to play your basic swing, but today, the last couple of days, I had to manufacture every single shot. Even drivers, little punchy drivers, hooky drivers. It's just amazing how you could go out there and play different shots. You can play one particular shot five different ways out here.

It's a lot of fun. A little different to what we normally play. I believe this is the first year that the greens have been redone and played on. It's different scoring completely compared to previous times.

Q. How does this rate towards the way you have to play at a British Open venue?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: It's pretty close to an Open, yes, I think, apart from I think the golf courses we play in The Open are more firm and there's less rough around. It's very similar, I think, condition-wise with the hard greens, firm greens, running at 9, 9.5, and with the wind conditions. It's good practice for The Open. Be good to come here and practice a week here on this golf course.

Q. Was this harder work than you expected when you first got to the island?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah, I mean, I've seen this golf course on TV since '99 I think it was. I knew it was pretty tough. The toughest thing for us really is the elevation and the strength of the wind. That's the toughest thing. I had like 190 yards today, hit a little 9-iron down the hole on the 7th hole, 9-iron down there. I mean, those sort of things are very different to what we're really used to. It's kind of neat to have that sort of thing, to manufacture a shot every time, rather than your stock-standard swing. For me it's a bit of fun.

Q. When you were watching on TV, you were probably seeing a minus 20 next to some of the names.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah, that's right. Obviously the greens have made a huge difference to the scoring. That's the biggest difference I've seen over here the last couple days, is the greens themselves. They run true, but they're very firm. You can't get them close sometimes.

Q. They were supposed to be "easier or truer" because they took the grain out.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: There's still grain there.

Q. The big complaint was you'd hit a putt, get near, it would make a sharp right or left.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Obviously, I can't comment because I didn't play here previously. From what I've heard, the greens are a lot better, 10-fold from last time they played here. That's what I heard from the guys, from locker room conversations I've had.

But just the firmness of the greens. I'm not sure how strong the wind has been the last six years.

Q. Once in a while it's been tough, but I don't remember it this tough.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I was talking with Jim today - I played with Jim Furyk the last couple days - he said this is the toughest he's seen it.

Q. When you got done with your practice rounds and ProAm round, did you think that 2-under would be one off the lead going into the weekend?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: No, absolutely not. I was thinking double figures easy, easily double figures. On the Back 9, you can really make some ground. You got a short 14; 15, par 5; 16, you know, 18, as well. I actually honestly thought that 10-under was going to lead this tournament after two rounds easily.

Obviously, with the wind conditions, it just made it a lot harder.

Q. What do you think it is about this place that obviously lends itself to Stuart's game?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Ask Stuey, I don't know.

Q. You know his game pretty well.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: He's long. He's very strong off the tee. I think if you gain another 20 yards out here, it makes a huge difference. You can fly it on the green on 14. You can reach the green on 18 easily. I'm not long, but I'm not short either. I can see how another 10, 15 yards on this golf course would make a big difference. I think that's why he's won twice already and he's in a chance to win again this weekend.

Also confidence builds confidence. You come back to a golf course where you played well before. He feels like he can play, compete here, because he won twice before against a strong field; strongest players in the world playing here last couple year, apart from this year. Confidence is great every time he steps on the first tee here on the 1st hole here in Kapalua.

Q. Would you like to see these conditions continue through the weekend? If they do, how good are your chances to win?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: It's too hard (laughter). I like to cruise into the new year, you know. This is a little bit different.

I'd like to have the strength of the actual wind, probably a little bit less than today. If it is, the next couple of days, I'll be ready to go out there and play well. I believe I got the game to actually do well for the weekend. I believe I got the mind for it, too.

Preparation leads to confidence, too. I prepared myself very well for this week. I got my coach here and stuff like that. I'm looking forward to the next two days.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Michael, can we go through your birdies and bogeys.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: 5th hole, 3-putted from about 30 feet.

7th hole, 3-putted from 30 feet.

9th hole, driver, driver, to about 10 yards short of the green, chipped up to about four feet, five feet.

11, I hit 8-iron to about 10 feet, holed it.

15, driver, 3-wood, just short of the green, chipped onto about four feet. Holed that.

17, driver, 8-iron to about three feet, holed that.

18, chipped it over the back of the green, chipped onto about 10 feet and missed it, bogey.

Q. You talked about Stuart's confidence around here. A year ago to now, how different is your confidence level?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: How far is it from here to the moon? I mean, there's no comparison. I've told you guys all the stories about how I changed my whole attitude and my mindset. I don't want to be a scratched record, but that's what changed my whole way of thinking. When you get results, that builds up to more confidence, sort of like climbing a ladder. Right now I feel like I'm halfway to the moon right now with my confidence.

Q. How much more did you climb after The Open win?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Pretty much to the point where I think I can win every week now going into a major, going into any tournament. This week, I feel like I can compete against the best players in the world now. I feel comfortable around them. That's pretty good.

Q. You feel like you belong?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah, I feel like I belong in the same sphere as these great players, which is kind of neat. I respect them as players, but I don't fear them any more. I know that -- because Pinehurst, I was under the most extreme conditions as a player I could ever be in. Leading a major, nine holes to play, maybe two or three shots lead. It was my fault for me to lose. Those conditions were pretty tough mentally, more than physically, have the best player in the world shooting at you. I managed to beat him. That is just the ultimate for me as a golfer, as a person. I can't expect for anybody else. But for me as a player, that has made me transform into a world class player, I think. That was a big turning point for me in my career.

Q. What are you doing next week?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I'm going home.

Q. "Home" being?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Sydney. I'm going to Kauri Cliffs for corporate day, New Zealand.

Q. Not to Brighton?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: No, the other way.

End of FastScripts.

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