home

jobs

	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

HSBC CHAMPIONS

November 9, 2006

Michael Campbell

SHANGHAI, CHINA: First Round

CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: We have Michael Campbell clubhouse leader, 66, nice start. You must be pretty happy with that?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Obviously happy but also surprised after a three week break from the game. I played I think 18 holes in those three weeks, and I arrived on Monday, played a practise round on Tuesday and Wednesday, and boom, shooting 6 under today was a very surprising start for me.

I think I had no expectations. This year I put too much pressure on myself I believe to perform, and hence, I haven't won yet. But hopefully, you know, this week will change things. But I think having no expectations and just going out and playing and enjoying myself is definitely the turning point I think this year so far.

CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: Tell us, what did you do, how did you spend the last few weeks back home in Sydney?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Nothing, nothing at all. Just decided to put the clubs away, apart from two occasions and get a break from golf. I think my mind was full of a lot of negativity, and I think the thing to get away from that is to get your mind off the game by just basically doing other things in life. And I've got two young boys, so it was nice to do the school drop and making lunches and making dinner and just be like a normal father, a normal life.

Q. A lot of the players said after the practise round, the course seemed to be harder than last year. Doesn't seem to be any trouble to you after your first round today. Can you say something about the course?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I think the reason why the scoring is pretty good is because the greens are a very good surface, putting the right way. They are very smooth, indeed, and that's why you see the scoring a little bit better than last year I think so far.

It's playing shorter, because I think from memory, it was playing pretty long last time because it was pretty overcast and a bit of rain. But this time around, it's dry and the ball is going further off the tee, so it's making the golf course a little bit shorter.

Q. Michael

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Chinese, please. (Laughing)

Q. Got to speak English first.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Australian is hard enough. (Laughter).

Q. First, what was the key to the good round today? And if you had to give this round a mark out of 10, what do you think you would give it?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Well, I think out of 10, probably a score of 8. A few lipouts there unfortunately, but 6 under after the first round of a big tournament is always good.

What was the other question?

Q. What was the key to the round?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Oh, I think just having no expectations out there, just enjoying I think playing with my son, Thomas, and watching him play with no expectations, having fun. And I'm thinking this is what I've missed this year was that, that aspect of my golf was not worrying about the result and just playing a bit of golf and see what happens. And that's what happened today is I went out there and played and had fun with Padraig, my playing partner, and Zhang. So it's a nice way to approach the rest of the year with that attitude.

Q. You had no expectations, but what now, you have three more rounds to go, are you still keeping yourself calm about it?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I think the most difficult thing to do for the next three rounds is keep the same expectations going. I think through human nature and the mind how it works, you want to have high expectations, which is natural. So I'm trying to pull the reins off that sort of aspect and make sure I just have a bit of fun and see what happens.

I've been putting a lot of pressure to win my next tournament too much, and I think when you exceed your expectations, you put too much pressure on yourself and you try more and you get less. So I'm trying to just enjoy it, that's the main thing.

Q. First question is, you have a habit of putting a mark on your ball, like a target a, according to the U.S. Open you put something on the golf ball. And have you achieved your dream of buying a Porsche?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yeah.

Q. Did you buy that car, and do you have another new logo on your golf ball, a new target?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: No, nothing

Q. Is it different?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: No, nothing rat all.

Q. And if you have a choice to win your next major, which one would you prefer?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: No, I don't care. Any one. (Laughter).

CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: Michael can we quickly go through your card, please.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Driver, 9 iron to four feet.

Two shots short of the green and chipped probably six feet.

17, 6 iron to about 20 feet.

18, driver, Heavenwood behind the green, 30 feet away, 2 putt.

5, driver, 5 iron to about 25 feet.

9, driver, wedge to about ten feet.

CHUAH CHOO CHIANG: Thank you very much, Michael, and all the best this week.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297