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SMURFIT EUROPEAN OPEN

June 29, 2005

Michael Campbell

STRAFFAN, IRELAND

SCOTT CROCKETT: Michael, thanks as always for coming in. As everybody said to you, many congratulations on an absolutely fantastic achievement, fantastic performance, just start us off with your memories and what is still in your mind.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Where do I start?

SCOTT CROCKETT: Just talk us through the final day, the emotions of that day and how you've come to terms with them since then.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Funny enough, Paul McGinley and I, we flew out together. We flew on the same flight from Gatwick to Raleigh Durham and we sat next to each other, had a practice round, next day, a Monday and Tuesday, and were drawn together on Thursday and Friday. On Monday, playing with Paul, and a few other guys, when I saw the golf course, I liked it. Every single tee shot, I felt very, very comfortable. Doesn't happen very often. Normally you get two or three shots that's not very pleasing to the eye, but for some reason, every single tee shot on 14 holes, I thought, "Hmmm, I like this hole." I like the way it shaped up, the way it looked at me.

And Friday, second round, Paul McGinley and I were talking, you know, as you do, and we were talking about surprise winners of major championships. We said, you know, look at Shaun Micheel, look at Ben Curtis, look at a few other guys. I said, "You know, that's a good point there, Paul, you know, it would not surprise me if" Darren wasn't there that week, "Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Nick O'Hern or any of the other guys could win this week."

"You know what, you're right, and put yourself in that same category. Would not surprise me if you win this week." And he saw me play for a day and a half, or two and a half, including the practice round, and he knew I was playing well. Then, yeah, three days later, I'm holding the trophy.

The thing I'm trying to say is I felt very, very comfortable when I got to the first tee a Monday. And the first time at Pinehurst I watched Payne win it six years ago, and I didn't qualify. And to go back there six years later and to do what he did, not shoot the same score unfortunately, is a big thing for me.

SCOTT CROCKETT: How has the enormity of what you achieved set in over the last couple of weeks? Obviously it's a lot to take in on the evening itself, has it begun to sink in what you actually have achieved?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Kind of. Kind of. I think having kids really puts you at ease very, very quickly. You know, it's always been my dream as a kid growing up to hole a putt for a major championship ever since I started playing the game when I was seven years old, and to achieve a childhood dream, a lot of people can't really do that sometimes in life, and I had the opportunity to do it.

I think the last nine holes gave me a true test, either make it or break it as a player for me to be honest. If I had a three shot lead playing the last nine holes and lost the tournament that week, I would have been devastated and probably not recovered for a long time. But to actually go out there and have the best player on the planet shooting all guns blazing toward you, and I responded with birdies on 10 and 12 and up and down on 15 and birdie on 17, that was probably the toughest situation that I've ever, ever been in. Last nine holes, you're leading by three shots, Tiger is right behind you, making all these birdies in a major championship, and I won.

So I know this is going to help me in good stead for my future career because I know that I can cope with any situation in the world now, golfing world. I know if I'm leading once again in a major championship with nine holes to play, three shot lead with Tiger or Vijay or Ernie breathing down my neck or Goosy, I can still win. I can still win.

It's a huge, huge stepping stone, something I can't really comprehend right now. I've been talking about it to very close friends of mine and even they can't get over it. As soon as the dust settles, I'm looking forward to playing this week, and to come back to a tournament I've won before really is a great little combination. I enjoy playing in Ireland. I've won twice in Ireland. My confidence has skyrocketed. It's been a rocket ride the last two weeks or a week and a half. So it's been a lot of fun, but now it's back to business. Now it's time to close that chapter and start a new one.

I had a big shindig on Sunday and invited about 100 people around to my house in Brighton there and had a good time, dance floor, DJ and stuff. Champagne was flying quite freely and that was the cutoff time of me to celebrate my win, but then again, it's time to, you know, close that book and start a new one.

Q. I donÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½t want to be negative but you lost a lead a few weeks before the US Open, did that experience help you?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I watched my stuff on TV the last nine holes the British Masters you're talking about?

Q. Yeah.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I saw this angry person, angry person that wasn't me at all. I learned off that. You have to learn off your mistakes, find the positives and I did. When I saw myself on TV chucking clubs and taking the glove off my hand, it just looked disgusting. I thought, "No, that's not Michael Campbell." So I went out, made sure my last round that I just enjoyed myself the last round of the Open, U.S. Open two weeks ago, last week, whatever it was, I can't remember now. Two weeks ago, one and a half.

Q. Now that you have won, will you go back on the American tour?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: No, no way. No point in changing your routine or your processes. I hope this sends a message to all of the European Tour players; that you can win major championships not playing in America. I have no intentions to go to America for at least the next three years. Except for the obvious ones, the World Championships and the majors and before or after a major championship, but no, I'm staying here.

I think this is great for The European Tour. I've been here now for the last 12 years. I tried America two years ago, three years ago, came back and I won again. So I'm more comfortable here. My kids go to school in England. There's no way in the world I'm going to ruin the routine right now, what I'm doing. The processes I'm using right now are obviously working and I think too many guys too soon change their ways. Why, I don't know. You see guys winning major tournaments and then changing equipment. To me that's just ludicrous, or changing where they are staying you keep the same environment, it's works it's stupid to change.

Right now I'm very, very content just to play in Europe and nowhere else right now.

Q. How has the response been in England, any unusual phone calls?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: There's one, I had an e mail from the All Blacks manager and he left his number, mobile number in his e mail and I rang him up and said, well thanks for the e mail inaudible e mailed me as well, thanks, guys for your well wishes and stuff and I really appreciate what you've done for me. As people, you've made me very proud and you make the country very proud of what you've done so far. I just basically said to them, you know, to his voicemail, just go out and get 'em. I said a few swear words of course, but you inspired me to win last week, it's your turn now.

Apparently he played it in the dressing room for the All Blacks before they went out and played the first test.

Q. Was it Graham Henry?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: No, it wasn't Graham Henry, it was the other manager. I can't remember his name.

Q. Do you think there's more pressure on you now to play in America

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Oh, yeah, the reason, why isn't Michael Campbell coming to America. I said I'm happy the way things are right now and the way my whole career is panning out. Why change things? It's human nature to go over there and play full time in America but it's not for me. My roots are here. I've been here for 12 years and I just enjoy being here and playing The European Tour. And hopefully it's going to help guys like, you know, Darren Clarke and Westwood and Poulter and Harrington, Montgomerie, McGinley, McDowell, all of these great players who have won multiple times around the world to realize that if I can do it these guys have seen me play for the last 12 years on this tour. They have seen me miss cuts, lose my card, win golf tournaments and I have seen them do the same. We are all close. There's a fine line between winning tournaments and winning majors. When you do win your first major, you think to yourself, it's a lot of hard work, but these guys are very close, too.

I'm very excited for this Tour to have so many great players on This tour playing and having the chance and opportunity to win major tournaments. There's maybe a thought in the back of your mind about not winning, and thank God mine is complete because I've done it.

Q. When you went back home Tuesday, did the people of Brighton recognise your win, and what about the Australians?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Actually they tried to claim me as an Aussie boy. They said, "We'll give back Russell Crowe for you." As for Brighton I've been living there for 12 years as well, my second son was born there, so they tried to claim me that that sort of way. In Brighton, for example, they are going to name a bus after me, yeah, Michael Campbell Bus.

Q. Where will it go?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Tour the pubs maybe.

Q. Were the crowds recognizing who you were?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah, they were. The day after I won, I went into New York for half a day to do a lot of PR stuff up there and it was I was totally flabbergasted on how many people recognized me just through one tournament. I didn't realize golf was so beg over in America, I knew it was big but not that big. Yeah, it was incredible, the response, the feedback.

Q. The shindig, was it something you threw together?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Wednesday afternoon a rang a friend of mine, I said, "I need help to organize a party for 100 people, do it," and she did. Incredible job.

Q. How many came?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Oh, about 200 I think.

Q. Why didnÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½t it work out for you in America?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: It was because I had no fixed abode. I was traveling 12 weeks in a row with my family, two boys two, and four. I had nowhere to go, no house to go to, to lay my hat. I was in hotel rooms for 12 weeks in a row with my wife and two boys and a nanny. It was no good so, no, pack our bags and go home. Came back here and won the Irish Open a month later. I'm very comfortable being in this part of the world.

Q. Padraig said yesterday you were the man to beat here and are you the same player as you were three years ago when you won here?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: To answer your second question, I think I'm a better player than I was three years ago. I'm fitter than I was three years ago. I've been working very hard on my fitness. I'm more of a rounded player than I was three years ago. I'm working on different parts of my game. My driving has been exceptional the last two months, pretty straight and averaging just under 300 yards was long enough for me. And tired, yes. It's been a pretty hectic last week and a half.

I was in the gym this morning and yesterday just to try and get things going but my body refused. Got through up and downs and definitely had a huge high last week and now I can feel myself coming a bit down and now it's time to pick it up again and take it out tomorrow morning with the boys and play well. I'm looking forward to playing after a week and a half of not playing, just looking forward to playing tomorrow and the next four days.

Q. What's the e mail count now?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Okay, well, my personal e mail address, is called www.cambogolf.com. At the start of my year, I got my Web site manager to allow me to answer my own personal e mails, my Cambo e mails. So from February onwards to about two weeks ago, I had probably ten or five, five a day, best wishes or can you donate something for me; sure, no problem. I'm a better typist now.

I landed on Tuesday morning, so it was a day and a half after I won or two days after I would be, I landed in England and the first message was, "Michael, we're in trouble." This is from my Web site manager. (Laughter). It said, "You have 7,500 e mails and it's causing a problem." He explained to me that "you need to reply to these e mails."

I said, "How can I replay to these e mails, 7,500?" It's like Jim Carrey in that movie where he plays God (Bruce Almighty) and he's answered all the prayers, I felt like that. So I just sent a generic message to all my fans saying, "Thanks very much for your kind wishes."

Q. How important now is a balanced schedule for you?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Well, funny enough, on Thursday, I had a meeting IMG, my new management group, and although I had been talking to IMG back in March before it happened last week. So they didn't come on board because I won the U.S. Open; they came on board because knew that I was going to do bigger things in my golfing career, so we started talking in March. We struck a deal up about two weeks ago before the Open, U.S. Open. So then they came along and we had a meeting for the first time and obviously the schedule has changed completely. You've got the Grand Slam, you have Tiger's event, the Million Dollar, all of these other opportunities to play in Asia. I was sensible. I spoke to Goosy yesterday about his scheduling after he won his first major three years ago, and his biggest advice to me was not to be too greedy, just make sure that you look after your it's about quality not quantity. That's the one thing that I had stressed to my management group that I want to make sure that it's all about quality not quantity. I am flying to different parts of the world, but I'm trying it manage it so I can actually play to a certain level as well, not just to turn up and play.

Q. Have you been invited to play in the States?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: You'll have to ask Adrian. I think I have, I'm not sure.

Q. When you get into a groove and you play well, you tend it carry it on for a few weeks at a time, do you feel that happening?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah, I'm either missing cuts or winning golf tournament. It's just a bizarre thing. I'm probably the most inconsistent player on this tour. I'll be the first to admit that. Why, I have no idea. But when I get into a groove, you guys see me out there playing, I haven't seen coverage of last rounds yet, but people say to me: "When you teed up on the first tee, we knew you were going to win." Maybe it was my mannerisms or body language, they said, "You look like you're about to go up there and win a tournament."

I get into a groove, yes, I do, or in a bubble as I call it, and it happened the last week and it's happened the last couple of months, really; look at Wentworth, I played all right there, Wales. So it's been a gradual thing, but right now confidence is high, so a combination of that, winning a major championship, coming here, it's a great formula.

Q. Your career has had its up and downs, with what's happened now do you feel you can relax because you know you've been there and done it?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I think relax is the wrong word. I want to intensify things more. When you reach a certain level to go even further, you need to push a little bit harder, so I won't be relaxing now. I worked with my fitness guy yesterday and today and he pushed me a bit harder than normal, just to get my mind in the right space. No, I won't be relaxing. I've enjoyed the moment but it's gone and now it's time to intensify things, and not change continuation but turn it up a bit more.

Q. How do you combine intensity and concentration with enjoyment, do they conflict at times?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: They do, but I think it's just about management, managing your time. And when I'm at the gym working out, it's just about me and Ron Cupford (ph), he's a guy, been here for last year or so out on Tour, and he bases his teachings or his things on martial arts. So I've really enjoyed his teaching on how to go to the gym and work on that sort of angle and it's all about inner peace. It's all about just being calm. So when we're at the gym working out, we're doing weights but it's a different type of format. It's very hard to explain, but it's helped me a lot to separate my anxiety from excitement to try and increase intensity. He's been great so far.

Q. A bit off the beaten track but curious, do you remember Brian OÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½Driscoll taking a bit of grass and throwing it in the air after the Hakka? Is that a sign of respect?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: It is disrespectful.

Q. That's what I thought because would you have thought that played a part in what happened last week?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah, I saw it. I didn't see the coverage, I didn't see that part. I thought he was just throwing it in the direction, but I have a lot of respect for TanaI think under the circumstances, I don't know, ask him. Ask Tana the question not me.

Q. Just curious if that is a sign of disrespect?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Absolutely. And I'm sure it was noted, it too, by the All Blacks.

Q. Why is it?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Why? Maybe he's trying to test the wind, I don't know. Was he testing the wind direction? (Laughter).

Q. When you're picturing yourself a major championship, who are the legendary guys you think of?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Norman, Langer, Palmer, Nicklaus, Hogan, I was pretty nervous, too. I used to pretend I would be one of those players when I used play. This golf course I started playing golf, you would not believe this place, with you day you'll see footage and you'll go oh my God. It's a nine hole golf course, it was a farm. It was a farm. There's sheep on the golf course. They have fences around the greens, electric fences. So every time you hit if you're chipping and you hit it off the green and it had the wire, you get a replay. It was pretty rough.

Back home they are obviously very, very excited, and I'm going back home for a week and just enjoying the moment with them. I'm sharing the moment with all my family and friends back home. Having a ticker tape parade in Auckland, and meeting Helen Clark, I'm meeting the All Blacks again I'll actually land at 5:00 in the morning, it's planned already. I'm landing in 5:30and the All Blacks are flying to Johannesburg at 7:30. I'm landing on the 26th or 27th of July. The ticker tape, that's what's going to start it at the Bell Golf Club, and it used to cost $5 or it was like two Euros to play this golf course. There's no, you know, office there. A little wooden box this big, you put your $5 in there.

The secret to play this golf course, you've got to tuck your pants in your socks because there's sheep shit everywhere. Sheep shit on your socks as opposed to your trousers.

Q. Do you believe you are the man to beat this week? Are you in the right frame of mind for it?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Right now, no. But come tomorrow, yes. I'll be ready tomorrow.

Right now I'm still floating or scattered everywhere with my thoughts, but, you know, come tomorrow, I'll be ready to go.

Q. Have you thought about St Andrews and doing the double?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Why not? It's possible. My thought right now is tomorrow even before I go to St. Andrews to be honest. I haven't thought about a double, back to back major championships. I'm just thinking about tomorrow and the next day and next day and J.P.'s tournament.

Q. You are the first Callaway player to win a Major?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: That's pretty cool, isn't it.

Q. So you are sticking with Callaway?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah, I do, if Callaway comes to the party, yes, I want to keep my relationship strong with Callaway. That's all I can say really. I love the equipment. It's working for me right now. The guys I deal with at Callaway are wonderful. We have a great relationship with them. Same with my management group, IMG, as well. We're all excited. We're very excited, all of us about what's going to happen in the future.

Q. Why do you play the JP McManus Pro-Am?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Ever since I started, every five years, as you know. We're good mates, good buddies, he's been great to my career. He's been very supportive to my career and for me to pay him back is for me to play in his tournament.

Q. Can you tell us where you met him or how he met him?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I first came over in '93, I was sitting down somewhere in France and I think it was a tournament in France and myself and my wife were there, and these guys walked in it was Dermot Desmond, J.P. and John. No idea who they were. It's my first year on Tour. Whatever it was, it was pretty packed, must have been like a rain delay or something and the clubhouse was packed. My wife and I, there's like three seats, four seats around us, he said, "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Join me, please." So we're talking away, talking, talking, that week or something, and I said, "Can I buy you guys a coffee for something, glass of milk?" He drinks a glass of milk every day. So order a coffee glass of milk or whatever, water, and reach in my pocket, my wallet is in my golf bag. "Julie, can you pay?" She said, "I don't have my wallet either." I try to go and bribe somebody else to pay you know, people offer somebody for drinks, you pay for it.

And I thought: "Well, guys I'm so embarrassed, I don't have my wallet on me."

Says, no, okay, I'll take care of it, thank God, thanks. He was so friendly and I had no idea who he was, and so anyway, two years later, or a year later I came over here and played full time, and we met again. Then I found out who he was and for me to have such a humble beginnings with J.P., I respect that. I treated him like a normal person, he treated me like a normal person and he's been supportive. Any time he needs me, my services, I'm there for him.

Q. Why does he get such good fields?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: He's got respect from all the players. He's a great man. Obviously Tiger's playing, as well. Once again, I don't know what his appearance if he; two cares, he's coming and it's great for Ireland. So thatÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½s the story between myself and J.P.

Q. Will you play the week before the Open?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I'm going to fly over Jonathan my coach, on Wednesday and we're going to play a few links golf courses around where I live in Sussex there. Royal St GeorgeÃ¢ï¿½ï¿½s is about two hours' drive, might go there. There's another place, Rye, and Walton Heath is pretty good, too.

Q. When will you get to St. Andrews?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Sunday.

SCOTT CROCKETT: Michael, thanks as always. Very good luck this week.

End of FastScripts.

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