Campbell takes ambassador role seriously
Former US Open champion Michael Campbell’s dream is to attract a number of fellow major winners to the New Zealand Open.
The 38-year-old Kiwi is always the star attraction in his home tournament - which he won in 2000 – but very few other big names make the long trip Down Under.
It is a situation Campbell wants to change but knows he has plenty of work to do in order to make New Zealand’s richest sporting event more attractive to the world’s best players.
“New Zealand has struggled over the years with scheduling – it’s a busy year for all of us and it’s a long way to come down here,” said Campbell, a major winner at Pinehurst in 2005.
“If it was closer to America you’d have more world class players here, but I’m out there waving the New Zealand Open flag and I’ve been talking to my friends about coming down and we’re chipping away, so hopefully we might surprise people one day and get some major winners down here.”
One player who does not have to think twice about attending is Australian Peter O’Malley.
The 42-year-old has been a regular visitor to the New Zealand Open and he has won three times in the country.
And after a fourth-placed finish at the Mastercard Masters in Melbourne last week he is looking forward to the challenge in the £548,000 event at The Hills Golf Club.
“I just enjoy it over here. I think I’ve played nearly every New Zealand Open since I was a professional,” he said.
“I played great on the weekend and any time you shoot 10-under over the weekend is great. I’m looking forward to this week. If I keep the same form going hopefully I can come out and win another New Zealand Open.
“From what I’ve been told it’s the sort of course that requires a lot of shot making and not just standing up there and smashing away, and it’s usually fairly windy every time I come to New Zealand so I’m looking forward to that.
“There’s a lot of accuracy needed and a lot of precision needed into the green which suits my game.”
