The official website of Michael Campbell

Fan Mail
Michael Campbell's Messages

It's been a long road for Michael Campbell from Titahi Bay to achieve a high ranking in world golf. As well as having a dream and some natural talent, it still takes hard work and discipline, the humility to learn from hard lessons, and reserves of inner strength to keep going through hard times.

Childhood

Michael was born in the small New Zealand town of Hawera, near the beautiful Mount Taranaki. He spent a lot of time with his grandparents at their small country farm in nearby Patea. Michael is of Maori descent, from the iwi (tribes) Ngati Ruanui on his father's side and Nga Rauru on his mother's. Michael is also of Scottish heritage, his great, great, great grandfather emigrated from Scotland to New Zealand in 1840. When Michael was 5 years old, his family (father Tom, mother Maria and sister Michelle) moved to New Zealand's capital, Wellington.

Schooling

Michael attended Primary, Intermediate and High School in Wellington's Titahi Bay area. At Titahi Bay school he began playing New Zealand's best-known sport of rugby until his mother pulled him out, concerned it was "too rough!" Although rugby was vetoed, Michael was naturally talented at a wide range of sports: he played softball for Wellington from ages 10 to 14, and also particularly enjoyed squash and table tennis.

Introduction to golf

Michael's start in golf was to caddie for his dad (who played off a single figure handicap at Titahi Golf Club). Michael joined the golf club himself at age 10 - and had a handicap of 11 by age 12. When asked at age 12 what his career plans were, his reply was: "I want to be a professional golfer and be the best in the world". Within four years he had broken the Titahi Bay course record. From age 16, he represented Wellington in junior golf teams, and played for the national New Zealand amateur golf teams from age 18. During these years (1988 - 93) he represented New Zealand in many countries, and made many sacrifices in order to practise hard and improve his game.

Career choices

Although the family supported Michael's ambition to become a pro golfer - they also encouraged a 'Plan B'. So, Michael worked for Telecom NZ after leaving College, qualifying as a telephone technician. At the same time, whenever he was able, Michael would practise his swing. The results showed on the golf course. Critical to his development was the superb coaching he received from the man who became his coach for eight years: Mal Tongue. Highlights of these years: being a member of the first New Zealand team to win the Eisenhower Trophy (1992) and becoming the first Kiwi to win the Australian amateur championship (1992).

Turning professional

Michael turned professional in January 1993 and in only his fifth start he won the Canon Challenge on the Australasian Tour.  The following year Michael travelled to Europe to play the Challenge Tour and won three events to secure a full European Tour card for the 1995 season.

Michael really made his mark on the international stage when he led the field after three rounds of the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews . Although, he fell away to finish in a tie for 3rd place, he had made a lasting impression with the quality of his game and demeanour.  His good form continued for the rest of the year which saw him finish 4th on the European Tour Order of Merit and boost his world ranking to 23rd.  En route home for the New Zealand Open, he won the Dunhill Masters in Malaysia, but tragedy struck in his last event of the year when Michael injured his wrist at his home tournament, the New Zealand Open, and was sidelined until March 1996.

The wrist injury led to a dip in his form and confidence. He struggled to regain his form of the previous season and lost his playing rights on the European Tour.  After playing on sponsors exemptions in 1997 and being forced to attend the European Tour Qualifying School, Michael easily regained his card for the 1998 season.   His game and confidence gradually restored, he returned to the winners’ circle at the end of 1999 at the Johnnie Walker Classic.
2000 was a vintage year for Michael, supported by consistently good performances on the European and Australasian Tours.  Victories at the Heineken Classic, Australian Masters, German Masters and an emotional win at the New Zealand Open propelled Cambo back into the headlines and saw his world ranking rise to #14.  With his improved ranking, Michael travelled across to the States and played a schedule of both European and PGA Tour events in 2001 with mixed success.  He successfully defended his title at the Heineken Classic, but had difficulty settling in to American Tour life.  He continued this mixed schedule in 2002,  finishing 2nd at the Bay Hill Invitational before breaking an eighteen month streak without a win at the Smurfit European Open. Michael’s love affair with Ireland continued when he won the Nissan Irish Open the following year.
In 2004 Michael enjoyed a steady if unspectacular year with a number of top 10 finishes highlighted by a 2nd place at the Scottish Open.
In 2005, the USGA introduced an international qualifier for the US Open for the first time.  Michael had originally intended to miss this event before filing a last minute application to play - a decision that changed his golfing life forever. He successfully claimed one of the 9 exempt spots into the US Open and the rest as they say, is history.  Cambo felt comfortable at Pinehurst the moment he stepped onto the course and quietly posted scores of 71, 69 and 71 to stake a claim for the title. On a dramatic final day, Cambo kept his cool under immense pressure to hold off a charging Tiger Woods on the back nine and win his first Major Championship.  Such was significance of his achievement back home, the start of the New Zealand Parliament was delayed whilst ministers followed his progress over the closing holes!
Proving that his first Major success was no flash in the pan, Michael confirmed his new status as a major player by finishing 5th at The Open Championship and 7th at the US PGA.  His second victory of the season came at the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth in October, where he memorably beat fellow US Open champion and top seed Retief Goosen in the semi-finals, before overcoming Paul McGinley 2&1 in a tense final. 
Michael’s natural talent and steely determination, steadied by the support of his family, meant that even in darker times, he never lost his resolve to be the best golfer he could be.   While the US Open victory is undoubtedly the high point in his professional career so far, Michael is looking forward to the challenge of building on this success which makes for an exciting future for this highly respected and amiable Kiwi star.

© Copyright 2010 Michael Campbell. All Rights Reserved.

web design - pancentric