Date: November 21, 2007
Author: Bren O'Brien

Campbell tips low scores early

Wet weather in Melbourne will lead to low scoring on the opening two days of the MasterCard Masters at Huntingdale, according to 2000 champion Michael Campbell. While the temperature reached 37 degrees on course on Tuesday, a dramatic change in the weather has seen around 18mm of rain fall in the 16 hours up until 2pm on Wednesday. Campbell has predicted that will make a significant change to the way Huntingdale plays early in the tournament. “It&aposs going to make the course a little bit softer, receptive obviously and scores a little bit lower. I prefer personally to play the golf course hard and fast. That&aposs where the strength of the golf course is, but with this rain overnight and this morning, it&aposs going to soften the course up immensely,” he said. “Scores are going to be low the first couple of days, but apparently it&aposs supposed to dry up from now and the weekend. We&aposll see what happens after that,” he said. Campbell won the tournament back in 2000, but doesn&apost think that gives him any significant edge, given the changes the course has undergone since that time and the changes in the way he plays. “It&aposs a different course. It&aposs always nice to see your name on the past champions board. It&aposs nice to have that yellow jacket in my wardrobe, it&aposd be even nicer to have another one. My season has been pretty slow, but I look at this week as the start of 2008, for the European Tour. That&aposs why I&aposm here. I&aposm playing the New Zealand Open next week as well. To me, 2008 starts this week,” he said. Campbell admitted he had got a little complacent after his stunning success at the 2005 US Open at Pinehurst, and that he been working hard to get himself back to the top of his game. “I&aposm working hard on my fitness now. I think once you reach a certain height in your career, which I did two years ago, one of my faults, or traits is to put the handbrake on. Which I have I stopped training as hard as I used to train. Those sorts of factors contribute to your performance,” he said. “Now I&aposm definitely increasing my work ethic over the past month or so. I&aposve had enough of missing cuts and shooting 71s and 72s. I&aposm a major champion and I want to be a multi-major champion,” he said. Determined not to rest of what he has achieved in his career to date, the 38-year-old believes he has at least another seven years at his peak. “It all depends on my body. I think I&aposve got another good seven years left in me, I&aposm 38, around 45. I hate to put a number on it but around high 40s is I think when I can still compete. I look at Vijay Singh, and the older guys who are still competing and winning. So I know that if I look after my body and depending how I feel physically, I&aposm sure I can still win majors,” he said. “That&aposs one thing, I want to get out off. I&aposve been given a label as a person who will only win one major, but I want to be a multi-major winner. I&aposve already had a good chance to win the Open, the best chance is the Open, but once again I&aposm beginning to like Augusta and the PGA events,” he said.