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HP BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP

May 20, 2009

Chad Campbell

IRVING, TEXAS

MARK WILLIAMS: Chad, thanks for joining us at the HP Byron Nelson Championship interview room. You've had a couple of pretty good tournaments this year, obviously. Being a local boy coming home and playing, what's that like and what's the crowd going to be like, giving you the support?
CHAD CAMPBELL: It's great. Always nice to be able to sleep in your own bed for a week, and luckily I get two weeks, this week and next week, so definitely excited about playing. The course is looking great after the changes last year, and everything looks awesome. So definitely happy with everything as far as that.
You know, it's a great week, get a lot of friends and family to come out and support me this week, so it makes for a fun week, a little hectic at times, but it's definitely exciting.
MARK WILLIAMS: You had your first child eight months ago.
CHAD CAMPBELL: Eight months ago.
MARK WILLIAMS: How has the adjustment to fatherhood been?
CHAD CAMPBELL: It's been fine, a little hard to leave sometimes. It's nice seeing him get big, and my wife has done an awesome job; got to give her all the credit for that. She's made it pretty easy on me. They get to come out every once in a while, and the adventures of traveling with kids, that's a new experience. But it's been great. He's doing awesome and getting bigger every day.
MARK WILLIAMS: What's the biggest difference that you've noticed traveling with child rather than without?
CHAD CAMPBELL: Well, they haven't came out too often, but just the whole airport thing is just -- it gets pretty hectic. You've got so much stuff, and getting through security and this and that, and it makes it really tough. You've got to really respect the guys that travel every week with kids. That's amazing.

Q. After the Masters you thought that was more disappointing than the PGA, the way it ended. Is there something you can take from those two near misses that you think will help you in upcoming majors coming up?
CHAD CAMPBELL: You know, I guess there is. I just think the fact of being there, the more times you're there, that means the more opportunities you have to win. I look at it that way. You know, it's another opportunity that I was there, and you learn that you've got to be patient. I gave myself a little confidence knowing that you can compete in those type of tournaments.

Q. Do you think there's something that's magnified? On Sunday afternoon it was pretty apparent who was going to be there at the finish, we just didn't know who was going to win. Is there something that becomes magnified in kind of the final few holes of a major that maybe is not magnified somewhere else?
CHAD CAMPBELL: I don't know if I'm really following you there.

Q. Is there something that is more magnified in a major championship that perhaps is not --
CHAD CAMPBELL: Well, the pressure is magnified, obviously. You know, it's really intense, especially -- whether you've won them or haven't won them, it's different. It's a little bit different than any other tournament. You feel it a little bit more. You know, other than that, I think that's about the only thing.

Q. Toward that end, when you're playing at home, do you feel more pressure than you would at the BC Open or something like that with so many extra eyes on you?
CHAD CAMPBELL: Maybe so. Just wanting to play well for everybody that comes out, you know, that have supported me not only this year but throughout my whole career and even on mini-Tours. It's nice to be able to play well for them and give them something good to watch. Sometimes I do put a little too much pressure on myself, and it makes it tough. But hopefully this week I can play well and let everybody have a good week and watch some good golf.

Q. Growing up here in Texas and knowing all about Texas, when you hear people compare your swing to Hogan, do you think that's kind of goofy? Do you think it's a compliment or are you happy? What's your reaction when you hear that?
CHAD CAMPBELL: It's definitely a compliment, probably the best ball-striker that ever lived. Any time you're compared to him, I think that's always a good thing. I've seen his swing a few times, and you know, it's similar a little bit, I think the flat plane and stuff like that. I just wish I could hit it as well as he did.

Q. You don't smoke as much, either.
CHAD CAMPBELL: No, I don't smoke, either. But if I could hit it like him, I might pick up smoking (laughter).

Q. We found out obviously today Amy Mickelson has got breast cancer. Just your reaction to that. I know that kind of hits home to all you guys that see Phil and Amy all the time.
CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, it does. Definitely a tough situation. I was talking to somebody earlier, my caddie's mom fought breast cancer and beat it so far, and my mother-in-law has had it. I think she's had it on two separate occasions, possibly even three, I can't remember for sure. But you know, it's just really tough. You feel for them, and it's a tough time. Hopefully they can get it all figured out. I don't know exactly what's going on right now, but hopefully the outcome will be great, and all you can say is we're praying for them and everybody will be thinking about them.

Q. A couple years ago, I think it was here at the tournament, your wife debuted her album or CD or whatever it was. Why was it important for you to support her, and that was really a public thing. Why was it important to you to spend the money you spent and give the kind of support you did to something like that?
CHAD CAMPBELL: Well, it's something that she feels strong about and that's something she loves, so she's still going at it and still trying it. So hopefully it'll work out. They've started working on another one, her and a friend of hers, and you know, you never know what will happen. It's crazy out there. I know that they both can sing, it's just a matter of timing, whether it all works out in the end. But we'll see. I know they both love it, and that's -- she grew up with music in her whole family, so hopefully it'll work out for them. I'm definitely on their side. I'd like to see it do well.

Q. You know how hard golf is because you've done it. Was that kind of an awakening, how hard it is to break into the singing business?
CHAD CAMPBELL: It is tough. There's a lot going on. Timing seems like it's kind of everything there. You've got to be at the right place at the right time and knowing the right people and meeting the right people. Also you've got to be able to sing, as well. So a lot going on in that industry.

Q. Adam was saying yesterday the course may play a little bit differently because of the Bermuda. Have you had a chance to get out there --
CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, I played in the pro-am this morning. Actually it's nice without the overseed, just the straight Bermuda. Typically it'll play a little bit faster. Right now it still seemed a little bit soft just from the rains the past week or so. But I think definitely by the tournament it'll be rolling out and playing really fast. But I definitely like it without the overseed.

Q. And secondly, on a week like this, two weeks actually, does it require you to organize things better because you have so many extra bodies around? It seems like it would be tough.
CHAD CAMPBELL: It is a little bit. You definitely have to manage your time a little bit. There's a lot of people that want to see you or friends that want to hang out, and sometimes you've just got to pass that up until a later time. It's hard whenever you're home -- it's great to be home working, but on the other hand, people don't really see it as that. It makes it a little bit tough, but it's definitely nice, I wouldn't trade it.

Q. Is your house any fuller this week or next week than normal, or are all the friends and family staying elsewhere?
CHAD CAMPBELL: No, it will be. My parents will stay there with me.

Q. Both events?
CHAD CAMPBELL: Both events, yes, sir. Amy, my wife's friend that sings with her, she'll be staying with us, as well.

Q. On Sundays when you're in contention, do you prefer playing from ahead or playing from behind?
CHAD CAMPBELL: I always prefer playing from ahead. That means you don't have to make up any shots. Definitely any time you can have the lead or be in the lead is better than being behind in my opinion.

Q. If I could just go back, the Masters, do you regard it as a great week, a disappointing week, a week that kind of hacked you off? How do you view the Masters experience?
CHAD CAMPBELL: I thought it was a great week. Obviously the outcome is not quite what I wanted, but I got myself in position and played some really good golf, hit a couple bad shots there at the end that I tend to reflect on a little bit too much and don't really think of the other 72 holes that I played great on. That's the way it goes. But I'm going to take a lot of positives out of that week, and I definitely consider it a great week. Hopefully I'll be back in that situation and be able to come out a little bit better than I did this year.

Q. Does that give you an appreciation for guys that win six majors? Does that give you an appreciation how hard it is to win a major like that?
CHAD CAMPBELL: I don't think more. I think I already have a lot of respect for any guys that win majors or are able to win golf tournaments like that multiple times. It's difficult enough just to win any PGA TOUR event, much less one of the majors.

Q. What is the biggest difference in how this course -- you talked about some of the things that are different. How will it play differently, chip shots or anything that you have to play?
CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, a lot of runoff areas. They might have had them last year. I don't remember all of them last year. But with it not be overseed, it'll all roll down to the bottom of it, so it makes the chipping a lot more difficult. You're chipping up to all those greens.
Other than that, I don't know if it'll be that much difference, other than playing fast, fliers out of the rough, with the greens and the runoffs. It makes it really interesting.

Q. The rough isn't as deep, is it?
CHAD CAMPBELL: No, it's very playable. It's good rough. We've been seeing a lot of rough like this lately, which I think is fantastic. You miss a fairway and you've got to pick and see if it's going to be a flier or not. You could end up hitting it 30 yards over the green or 30 yards short of the green and have the ball rolling everywhere. I like the way the course is set up.

Q. Will it be tougher this year or easier?
CHAD CAMPBELL: Than last year?

Q. Yeah.
CHAD CAMPBELL: The greens seem a little bit softer than last year. New greens, whenever you put them in they're always a little bit firm. Last year I just remember them being really, really hard. So they're a little bit more receptive this year, but also with the course playing faster and those runoffs running all the way down to the bottom, it'll make it a little bit more difficult.

Q. You won the TOUR Championship in Houston, but that's not really a Texas event. How important is it to you in your career to win a Texas event before you get finished? You'll take an event anywhere obviously, but to have your name on a Byron Nelson or a Colonial, how important would that be to you?
CHAD CAMPBELL: It's huge. I would love to win any golf tournament, but especially the ones in Texas, a little bit extra special. Always growing up here, you always remember watching them, and just all the history with golf in Texas, and to be able to win one of these tournaments would be awesome.
MARK WILLIAMS: Chad, appreciate you coming in. Thanks, good luck this week.

End of FastScripts

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