It has been a long rollercoaster ride journey from his hometown of Titahi Bay on North Island, New Zealand, to becoming the 2005 US Open champion.  Michael Campbell, or Cambo as he is more affectionately known, has tasted the highs and lows of professional golf in his career, but victory at Pinehurst confirmed what many already knew – Michael Campbell is one of the most talented golfers in the game today.

Michael was introduced to golf by his father, who he caddied for at his home club of Titahi Bay Golf Club.  Encouraged by his father, he joined the club at ten years old, and had a handicap of 11 by his twelfth birthday when he declared “I want to be a professional golfer and be the best in the world”. 

Under the tutelage of Mal Tongue, Michael tasted real success in his amateur career, representing Wellington in junior golf teams, and playing for the national amateur side at the age of 18.  He played in the Eisenhower Trophy in 1992, and was the first New Zealander to win the Australian Amateur Championship that same year.

Following this win, Michael made the move to the professional ranks and turned pro in January 1993. In only his fifth start as a pro he won the Canon Challenge on the Australasian Tour.   Encouraged by this great result, Michael travelled to Europe to play on the European Challenge Tour and won three events in 1994 that gave him a full European Tour card for the 1995 season.

Cambo’s fine form continued into 1995 with several high placings in premier European tournaments, but it was at the 1995 Open Championship at St Andrews that he hit his stride, leading the field after three rounds. Sadly, he fell away to finish in a tie for third place.  Undeterred by his disappointment at St Andrews, he continued to play some of his best golf to finish the year ranked 4th on the European Tour Order of Merit and had boosted 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.  He played tournaments on invitations in 1997 and at the European Tour Qualifying School that year easily regained his card for the 1998 season. 1998 and 1999 saw Michael return to form and victory at the Johnnie Walker Classic at the end of 1999, where he held off Tiger Woods, allowed him to break into the top 65 of the world rankings by the year end.

2000 was a vintage year for Michael, supported by consistently good performances on the European and Australasian Tours.  Victories in the Heineken Classic, Australian Masters, Linde German Masters and an emotional win in his national New Zealand Open propelled Cambo back into the headlines.  Five tournament wins in twelve months meant Michael finished the year ranked 14th in the world.

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 and broke an eighteen month streak without a win at the Smurfit European Open in July.   Buoyed by this win, and some strong finishes on the US Tour, Michael made the decision to play full time on the US PGA Tour in 2003.

With wife Julie and their two young boys in tow, the Campbell’s discovered that life on the road on the US Tour was not right for them at that point in their lives.  They returned to Europe and Michael’s love affair with Ireland was rekindled when he won the Nissan Irish Open in July in a play off.  A steady 2004, which included a second place at the Barclays Scottish Open, then followed.

Only deciding to play the 2005 US Open international qualifying event at Walton Heath at the last minute, a decision that has changed his golfing life forever, Michael made it through to claim one of the 9 exempt spots into the US Open at Pinehurst.  Cambo felt comfortable at Pinehurst the moment he stepped out onto the course and quietly posted scores of 71,69 and 71 to stake a claim for the title come Sunday.

Calmly and quietly, Cambo kept his cool under immense pressure and on a dramatic final day held off a charging Tiger Woods on the back nine to take the title.  This proud Kiwi sportsman became only the second New Zealand major winner, following in the celebrated footsteps of Bob Charles.  His closing holes at the tournament held up New Zealand government business whilst ministers delayed meetings to tune in to see him clain victory and the entire country revelled in his success.

Aiming to prove that his first Major success was no flash in the pan, Michael’s performance at the Open Championship at St Andrews, confirmed his new status as a major player in today’s game finishing in a tie for fifth place. His US Open win and strong Open performance have also boosted his world ranking, and he is now on the brink of breaking back into the world’s top 20.

Michael’s US Open success is the high point so far of a rollercoaster professional career.  His 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.  The future is looking bright for this well respected and amiable Kiwi star.  

BORN  23rd February 1969, Hawera, New Zealand
NATIONALITY New Zealand
TURNED PRO 1993
FAMILY  Wife Julie (married 1996)
  Children Thomas (1998) and Jordan (2000 )

INDIVIDUAL HONOURS
5th    Open Championship
 1st    US Open
 3rd    Johnnie Walker Classic
2nd    Barclays Scottish Open
 5th     Heineken Classic
2003 1st     Nissan Irish Open
 2nd    Omega European Masters
2002 1st    Smurfit European Open
 3rd     Benson & Hedges International
 4th     Volvo PGA Championship
2nd    Deutsche Bank SAP TPC Championship
 4th     Volvo PGA Championship
 1st     Heineken Classic
2000 1st     Linde German Masters
 2nd    Volvo Scandanavian Masters
 2n      Trophee Lancome
 1st     Heineken Classic
 1st     Johnnie Walker Classic
 1st     Crown Lager New Zealand Open
 1st     Ericsson Australian Masters
3rd     Open Championship
 2nd     Volvo PGA Championship
 3rd     Dubai Desert Classic
 4th    Johnnie Walker Classic
 1st     Alfred Dunhill Masters
1994 1st     Audi Quattro Trophy
 1st     Bank Austria Open
 1st     Memorial Olivier Barras
1993 1st     Canon Challenge

TEAM HONOURS
WORLD CUP         2003, 2002, 2001, 1995
PRESIDENTS CUP         2000
ALFRED DUNHILL CUP  2000, 1995