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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 19, 2007

Michael Campbell

CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND

STEWART McDOUGALL: Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Campbell, 68, leading The Open Championship in the clubhouse. Your feelings after that round, very nice indeed for a starter.
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: You're probably all surprised, aren't you (laughter)? You probably are. I'm not. It's been quite a torrid last couple of years, but the most important thing for me that I've done over the last couple of months is stay patient.
I was talking to my coach and my wife the last couple of days, I said, it wouldn't surprise me if I'm leading this thing after the first round. I'm playing so well.
My scores end of the day really and what you put on the score card is a reflection how you played. But over the last couple of months I've been playing okay. I changed to a 2-Ball, obviously putter, two or three weeks ago, and that really helped me today. And I think I holed three 30-footers out there, and that definitely helps the cause. And also drove the ball nicely.
I stayed calm and patient out there and stayed in the present time and shot 68 strokes.

Q. Just following up the comment you made on television about when you won the U.S. Open, you achieved a goal and that left a hole for you?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yes, the mistake I made was to win a Major was my ultimate goal. And once you do that in life, what's next? I suppose it's like climbing up Mt. Everest. I was talking to a psychologist yesterday about that. He says he teaches back to base camp, not the top. Once you reach the top it's halfway there, you have to reach back to the bottom to survive and not be killed. That was quite interesting to hear that sort of thing.
That's one thing I tried to do over the last couple of months is go beyond the U.S. Open and win majors. I believe I've got the ability to do it. I've proven it to the world I've done it before, two years ago, and now I believe that I've a good chance to perform well this week.
I'm not getting too excited. It's a marathon, not a sprint, and I think this major suits my game more so than any other major we play in. I was surprised to win the U.S. Open, but with my lower ball flight it suits my game better than any other major.

Q. After the U.S. Open you lost your desire and it's now coming back again?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah, it felt hard to get up in the morning and play. It was quite bizarre to have that feeling. I knew it was all about my desire.
But now I've got that fire in my belly right now, and I know I've got the game to win more major championships. And it was quite a feeling to get up in the morning and play golf, because I achieved a lifetime goal. But now I've turned that around. My mindset now is I've got to win more majors.

Q. What's the golf equivalent of going back to base camp?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Oh, that's interesting. It's winning majors now for me is one thing that's set in stone as a goal, winning majors. It could be two, three, four, five or six. I'm 38 years old; I've got another good, I think another six, seven years in me. I look at Vijay, he performs well. Monty, as well, he's 44 years old and still winning golf tournaments. So there's still a lot of golf left in me. It was actually nice to recognize that. Took me a long time. Took me two years to recognize I need to reset my goals and to have the goal of winning majors rather than just one.

Q. I seem to recall when you won the U.S. Open they stopped the New Zealand Parliament. I know it's ridiculously early, but what would they do back home if you won here?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah, I went back home about two months after I won the U.S. Open, and the whole country stood still. It was quite amazing. Quite freaky, really.
But it was nice to see how they embraced my win back home. I'm not sure. If I win The Open this year and the All Blacks win the World Cup, the All Blacks would probably steal my thunder.

Q. Did you know that Darren was going to wear all pink today and if so --
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Next time I'll call him tomorrow morning before we tee off, what are you wearing? When we started on the first tee it was raining and it was cold so we had waterproofs on and jumpers on, and all of a sudden a bit of sun came through and we took our tops off and thought oops, snap.

Q. How did you get the desire back? Did anybody sort of kick your ass or was there a moment?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: There was a moment when I was watching a DVD of all the past Champions of the Open, about two months ago. It showed Gary Player and Nicklaus winning and Watson winning, as well, Carnoustie, and Portmarnock, as well. It got the juices going. I watched videos and DVDs at the golf course and tried to learn from it, and that really inspired me.
So Paul is a good friend of mine, and it was great to see him win eight years ago. That really inspired me to say if Paul can do it, so can I.
And it's one thing that Geoff Ogilvy gave me a compliment last year when he won the U.S. Open. He said when he saw me win the U.S. Open the year before, it inspired him. Winning a Major is breaking down all the barriers for these guys. I'm pretty excited about the next three rounds and we'll see what happens.

Q. Have you kept up your interest in the Deveronvale football club?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yes, I'm part of the Valley Crew [the supporters' club]. I paid my £5 to be a member of the Deveronvale football club. It's up to £7 now, membership.

Q. You can make it for five.
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Discount.

Q. Have you been in touch with them?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Actually Scotty gave me a Deveronvale red and white jumper with my name on the back, 23, at the Masters.

Q. Have you got the shirt with you?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: No.

Q. Why 23?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Michael Jordan. But I'm more of a Michael Jordan fan, not Beckham.

Q. Would you explain the significance of the shirt?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: This one is -- it means mania, which means good luck and good fortune. Every design I wear is different. It's kind of nice to have my culture print all over me. I think I'm a great vehicle to express my culture to the rest of the world. I'm on stage, and it's just to spread the word that certain motifs we call them means different things, and it gives me strength.
At the same time I wore the white shirt on the last day of Pinehurst, at the back was a hammerhead shark which demonstrates strength and never give up.

Q. The two years you referred to, what would be the lowest point?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: The lowest point during the last couple of years must have been -- I think it was this time last year at Winged Foot, missing the cut by a ton. I think I changed too many things. The thing to me is less is more. I try to get too complicated with my golf swing and putting stroke. It was my fault. Human nature, I think you try to search all the time for the perfect swing or perfect putting stroke or the perfect whatever out there.
I changed a few things on my golf swing and it didn't work. I got more frustrated, and then I changed more things with my golf swing and I was digging myself a hole. Instead of sticking to the same formula, I tried to introduce different ingredients to the whole menu and it wasn't good at all.
Now I've sort of rediscovered myself and also just went back to the basics, rhythm and routine, two simple things, two R's I call it.
I remember talking to Vijay Singh on the practise round about two months ago at the BMW, PGA at Wentworth, we had a talk and he said, one thing I've noticed over the last year or so, your rhythm has got quicker. He gave me a tip, Michael, just work on rhythm and your routine.
Ever since then, last couple of months -- I've been working on my rhythm and routine, that's it, simple stuff and it's really paid dividends today. If I keep the same practise going, hopefully I'll be doing okay by the weekend.

Q. Is the psychologist a regular thing, and what made you go down that road?
MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I've always used him for the last two or three years now. He was there when I won the U.S. Open so he's been around for -- he's not old hat. He's only about 26 years old, very young, very vibrant, and he loves his job and he's pretty good. I've been using him for the last couple of years now.
I think -- basically we -- this game is pretty hard to play. We need every help we can from everyone else. But the most important thing I've realised, too, over the last two years is you've got to be your own advisor. You can have help from people, psychologists, coaches, wives or whoever, but the most important thing is absorb all the information and filter it out and just be -- you just pick and choose what you like that suits you as a person.
STEWART McDOUGALL: Michael, thank you very much.

End of FastScripts

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