Michael Campbell

• Early Life
• Professional Life
• Other Information
• Explanations
• Sources

Born 23 February 1969, in Hawera, New Zealand

Early Life

• Michael Campbell's parents are Thomas (Tom) and Marie Campbell. He has a younger sister, Marie.
• He is of Maori descent, from the iwi (tribes) Ngati Ruanui (on his father's side) and Nga Rauru (on his mother's side).
• Michael attended school in Titahi Bay, Wellington and played rugby, softball, squash and table tennis.
• After he left school Michael took an apprenticeship and qualified as a Telecom technician, but continued to play golf as much as possible.
• In 1996 Michael married American-born Julie Wendel in Sydney. They have two sons, Thomas Christopher born in 1998, and Jordan Joseph born in 2000.

Professional Life

• Michael began playing golf at age 8 as caddy to his father and joined the Titahi Bay Golf Club when 10.
• When he was 16 Michael set a new course record (of 62) at Titahi. At age 18 he was a member of the New Zealand under-21 golf team that competed in 1988 in Australia. His coach at this time was Mal Tongue, who was also coaching other young New Zealand golf players.
• Michael was a member of the successful New Zealand amateur golf team (the other players being Grant Moorhead, Stephen Scahill, and Philip Tataurangi) who won the Eisenhower Trophy at Vancouver in October 1992.
• In the same year Michael won the Australian Amateur Golf Championship, becoming the first New Zealander to do so.
• Michael turned professional in January 1993 and won his first professional tournament (the Canon Challenge in Australia) in the same year. In 1994 he played on the European Challenge Tour, winning three tournaments.
• In 1995 in his European Tour rookie season, Michael led the British Open at St Andrews (the traditional home of golf) for the first three rounds before finishing in a tie for third place.
• After a loss of form in 1996 and a serious wrist injury near the end of the year Michael considered quitting golf as a professional.
• After working on his fitness, Michael came back in 1999 and held off Tiger Woods to win the Johnnie Walker Classic in Taiwan.
• In 2000 he went on to win tournaments on the Australasian Tour (including the New Zealand Open held at Paraparaumu) and on the European tour.
• Michael received an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit Award for his services to golf in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2001.
• In 2004 he launched the Cambo golf clothing line, part of the Kia Kaha clothing company based in Wellington.
• Michael qualified for his seventh US Open at Walton Heath Golf Club in Surrey, England on 6 June 2005.
• On 19 June 2005 he won his first major golf title, the 105th US Open at Pinehurst Golf Course in North Carolina by 2 shots from the current world number one golfer, Tiger Woods. Michael is the 23rd non-American to win this title, and the first New Zealander to win this tournament.

Other Information

• Michael Campbell spends 7 months of the year in Brighton, England, and the other 5 months in Sydney, Australia.
• He is a supporter of Ronald McDonald House in Wellington, and also has given his name to the Michael Campbell Junior Classic, which first began in 1988.
• Michael believes that his family and the support they have given him is the reason for his success.
• He is also interested in fly fishing and surfing.

Explanations

Eisenhower Trophy

The Eisenhower Trophy is the prize given to the men's team that wins the world amateur golf championship held every two years. In 1992 the New Zealand team won, with the United States team second and Australia and France tied for third. In the individual championship Michael Campbell was runner-up to Philip Tataurangi.

New Zealander

Bob Charles is the other New Zealander to have won a major golfing tournament, the British Open in 1963. For more information on Bob Charles see Famous New Zealanders

Sources

•  
  • Gray, Russell. Michael Campbell: rookie on tour, Auckland, 1996.
  • Michael Campbell : On Course For the Future by Sharon Course in New Zealand Woman's Weekly 9 Feb 2004 pages 10-13
  • Zen And The Art Of Golf; Zen And The Art Of Michael Campbell by Anthony Hubbard in Sunday Star Times 20 Jan 2002 pages C1, 10
  • Michael Campbell website
  • PGA European Tour official website