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BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 16, 2004

Michael Campbell

ROYAL TROON, SCOTLAND

STEWART McDOUGALL: Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Campbell, 71 today for 138. Michael, these conditions, more a case of just making sure you didn't make too many mistakes.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Absolutely. I woke up this morning thinking even par is a great score today. And it's one of those rounds, especially today, where the course has shown its teeth, you could say. It's drying out and getting faster, harder and faster, and some of the pin placements are pretty tough, as well. But I think shooting even par today is a great score. I saw Mike Weir shooting 3-under, so it's exceptional. But compared to two days, yesterday and today, the difference today was a lot harder than yesterday.

Q. Yesterday you talked about different options off of the tees, can you give some examples today of what you might have done differently than you did yesterday?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I think the winds shifted about ten degrees more to the south, so actually the first nine holes are playing into the breeze, and vice-versa coming back. It made the 4th and 6th holes harder to reach, the par-5s. It brought the wind into play yesterday. That's what's good about links golf, if the wind changes ten degrees. And it did today. It's brutal out there. Anybody shooting par or better is a great score, as I said before.

Q. When you make a change in golf in this game it's very rare that you see immediate results. But you made a really big switch here in the last couple of weeks mentally, and it kind of rekindled the passion. What specifically has happened and how has Josh played a part in that?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I can't tell you all my secrets. It was always there, it was dormant for a while. It was just a matter of time, really. I've been playing well all year, really, if you think about it. It all started really at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock. I shot 8-over the first round and shot 2-under the second round. And I missed the cut by 2 shots. But I had 7 birdies in 14 holes at Shinnecock. That's like a month and a half ago, maybe 5 weeks ago. So that all kick-started the whole confidence thing, I would say.

And then I missed the cut at the European Open, and I've played three tournaments since then. And it was more of a gradual thing. But it's just gone to the extreme, so I really enjoy it. It's just believing in yourself, having expectations of winning golf tournaments rather than making the cut or top 10. I'm just trying my best to win golf tournaments.

Q. How do you feel inside compared to '95?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: There's no comparison. I'm a father. I'm married now. My life right now is wonderful. I've got a beautiful wife. I feel very, very calm and collected right now. I feel very comfortable. I would say I'd be close to leading after two rounds, seeing my name at the top of the leaderboard after two rounds I'm very comfortable. That's something that comes to mind.

Q. Do you have your hunger and ambition, do you feel you're back to that, after '95?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I can't remember. I was a kid then.

Q. Do you just fall in and out of love with this game? You have incredible highs and terrible lows?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: It's been a roller coaster ride, my career has been, as you say, the last probably ten years. It's like a switch, on and off, just like that, like a tap. And right now it's running pretty red hot. I'm going to turn that tap on further and further until it flows out.

Q. Michael, majors have obviously been a struggle for you the last several years. How do you manufacture that sense of confidence that you're talking about when you don't have a lot of good things --

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Pretend, just make believe. You just lie to yourself that you have confidence, and self-confidence takes over and believes that after a while, simple as that.

Q. Michael, could you say how many shots harder it was today than yesterday?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: At least three or four shots harder, definitely.

End of FastScripts.

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