November 29, 2025 • 23 mins
A documentary about Golfing legend Michael Campbell's career is set to release tonight.
The Kiwi won the 2005 US Golf Open, and continued to play at the highest levels till 2015, when he retired. However, he has since been playing on the Legends Tour where he tied for 14th in 2025.
Campbell sat down with Jason Pine to discuss the documentary and reflect on his career in the world of professional golf.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks edb.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Dare to Be Different. The Michael Campbell Story a compelling
new feature length documentary marking the twentieth anniversary of one
of New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs, Michael Campbell's unforgettable win
at the two thousand and five US Open.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
There's the difference three with Tiger, So he's got some cushion.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Well, he's earned that cushion, especially with that funny man
in the last hole, straight up Phil.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
From here, So two puts from there to put this away.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
So ten years from letting one open slip away with
Michael Campbell, it's got a will the US Open. And
when you've had the up and down career that he has.
At one point after that risk injury which we mentioned earlier,
we thought about quitting the life while setting a.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
French hotel room back in ninety eighty.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
It's sept to three hundred and sixty in the world
rankings and it has.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Come back all the way to the top. You know
us or think you bet they've got some pride.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Darl in New Zealand from Titahi Bay to the world stage.
Michael Campbell's journey is one of grit, belief and brilliance.
Presented by Sky Sport, this documentary traces his rise from
humble beginnings to beating golf's biggest names, including Tiger Woods,
and becoming a major winner and a national hero. Dare
(01:42):
to Be Different premiers tonight from seven o'clock on Sky
Sport three. Michael Campbell is with us on Weekend Sport.
First of all, can you believe it's been twenty years
since that audio we just heard You'll win at the
US Open.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
No time has flown past, you know, over the last
twenty years, And when I look back and reminisce of
at those times, it's always obviously wonderful memories of mine
and something I'll never forget. It was an incredible ride.
But this documentary will explain to people the pathway to
my success. It wasn't about that particular day that's end result,
(02:24):
but that's the path and the journey I took to
get there, a lot of struggles and a lot of
setbacks in my time and to the victories victories I've
had as a professional golfer, and it's I.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Mean, I really enjoyed making it.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
It made me kind of really think about how I
got there in a very detailed way, you know, going
from my first coach, my dad when I was six
years old, to Dennis Sutherland, who unfortunately passed away this recently.
My first coach, really real coach. Then Mel Tongue, he
(03:02):
took me under his wing. He looked after me from
the age of sixteen onwards. Its about twenty three, twenty four,
Jonathan Yalwood. You know, all these people made it possible
with Victory, he Jill and Golf, so it wasn't just
you know, as a group of a lot of people
over time.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
And you know, it's been fun.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
I mean I went back to Pinehurst for the very
first time since I won. I went Bryson one bucking
last year and with Sports Sports Inc. And Calson and
Randall were there and and we really went through the
hole in the last eighteen holes of my round and
I said to myself, Matt, damn, this golf course is hard.
Because they had a camera crew follow me around the
(03:44):
golf course and I explained I knew every single shot.
It's incredible and it was so nice to go back
there and really just you know, go through all those
wonderful memories.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Yeah, I want to get to those in a moment.
But can we take it back, Michael, Like many key
with kids growing up, you wanted to be an all black,
didn't you? You know when and how did golf take
whold of you? Was it mainly through your dead?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yeah? Dad, it didn't really push me.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
But my mum didn't like me playing rugby, and I
knew it wasn't good enough. You kind of know as
a kid when you go through those phases. I started
playing rugby at five years old to about probably ten eleven.
You just know you're not good enough. And so I thought, okay,
(04:31):
I'll drop that rugby dream. And then all of a
sudden I focused on golf, and I don't know, golf
seemed easy for me at that stage, and that's when
I took up golf service around thirteen. You know, you.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Imagine, I think it's a great story.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
You know, a kid grown up in Titahi Bay playing
on the golf course that's got sheep everywhere, fences around
the greens, one club, one boar, maybe two balls, had
a six iron, went from that to win in the
US Open, one of the biggest tournaments in the world.
So it was a great story and it's why I
wanted to share this with everyone out there. How in
(05:10):
a sometimes dreams maybe impossible, but I made it possible
by believing in my dreams. And that's one thing I
want to send a message to everyone and through this
documentary back home, is that you know, anything is possible,
anythings possible, and you know, for me, golf is more
than just a game. It's about creating moments and time
(05:32):
and memories and winning the US Circle was mine. So yeah,
it just goes to show that you eything's possible for
or you know, defew dream big.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Well, in the doco, you tell the story of standing
up on your first day at Manna College, which is
your secondary school, and announcing you wanted to be a
pro golfer and everybody laughing, presumably, I guess, because there
weren't too many MOLDI golfers around at that time. Were
you driven by wanting to break that mold or did
you just want to be a golfer?
Speaker 3 (06:06):
No, I was driven by that. Actually, yes, I remember
that day.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
It was It was at Martin College, first year at school,
when I was thirteen years old. And we had to
introduce ourselves, our names and parents and where we came from,
what they.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Did, and what's your future, what's your future goals?
Speaker 4 (06:22):
And all most classmates were saying the usual kind of thing, policemen, fireman, doctor, nurse, whatever.
And it was my time to come. I said, golf professional.
And I remember every single person in their classroom laughed
at me. I'm still there, standing standing tall, and I thought, no,
I'll tell you what. One day, I'll definitely have the
(06:43):
last laugh. And all my mates from school now play golf.
So it was it was, it was, you know, I
just wanted you're right. I mean, not many multi play
golf back in the seventies and eighties, and there was
no professional golfers on tour. I'll never forget the moment
when I thought, okay, this is my my pathway. Was
(07:05):
when I was watching Golf Life Golf with Dad earlier
hours in the morning, the US Masters back in eighties
or something like that, eighty two to eighty three, and
it's early in the morning because the time difference, and
I remember watching watching Jack Nicholas plane Augusta US Masters,
(07:25):
and I said to Dad, there's no New Zealanders in
the field. Well, no, no Malby in the field, because
are they're not good enough? Michael and I thought, well
maybe I can change that. So that really changed my
whole That's part of.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
The reason.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Was proof of the world that Mauldy can play golf.
So I think I succeeded there.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
You certainly did. He had a high degree of amateur success,
including the Eisenhower of course, and turned professional in nineteen
ninety three. How long did it take you to feel
at home comfortable on the pro circuit?
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Very quickly, I won very quickly, about five weeks after
I turned pro. I was lucky, well lucky, a bit
of hard work, but I won very quickly. So I
felt very, very comfortable on tour. And then let's when
things forgot for me and then I finished. Then he
won the Open ninety five, so it kind of like
just compounded from there. So I went from, you know,
(08:25):
being one of the best Australasian players back in the
nineties to all of a sudden, you know, one of
the best European tour players. So I talked to elavator
to the top very quickly, some people and take the stairs.
I took the elevator, went to the top and where
that come from, I don't know, but yeah, and I
(08:47):
had success very quickly, and it was it was so
I felt very comfortable very quickly. So that's why I
think I kind of hung around for a very long
time on tour for twenty years or so before I
retired about what ten years ago now ship twelve years ago.
So yeah, I look, you know, I'm very precative of
(09:07):
my career, what I've done, and hopefully in this documentary
you will explain.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
How it kind of unfolded.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Right, Let's get to the two thousand and five US Open.
You were ranked eightieth in the world at that time,
so you had to go through qualifying to even make
it into the field for the US Open at Pinehurst
number two. Once you had done that, what were your
ambitions going into the tournament.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
That particularly.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Moments or two or three months I was playing well,
you know, going into the US Open, and so I
set a goal and you're seeing the documentary of my
goal setting. Since I was twelve thirteen years old, I
had a little black book that kept for myself and
my mom started that for me many many years ago
(10:01):
when I was thirteen, and things like if I break
a hundred. You know, I'll buy a new driver for
breaking ninety. I've got a new cutter. So I've always
been a goal setter ever since then. My mum taught
me that a very young age. Unfortunately she passed away
a couple of years ago, but yeah, so she she
(10:23):
planted that seed in my mind about goal sitting. And
and so what I'm going to now is that week
of the US Open. Every week I had a goal,
you know, when I was out there playing, break thirty
parts or hit twelve out of fourteen fairways. You know,
I think an extra five minutes on the treadmill, you know,
an extra five sit ups or whatever it's going to be.
(10:45):
There's always something I always had.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
In my mind that week to achieve, and playing golf
was one was the the.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Reason why I did it, but also the I was
focusing on the on the small things that make a difference,
and that was one big thing for me with a
goal setting side. That week of the US Open, and
I see myself top ten, I'm going to buy myself
a secondhand Porsche because I love my Porsches. You know,
twenty thousand miles on the clock, three four years old,
(11:19):
spend twenty five thousand pounds because I was living in
London at the time, and so I wrote nine ninety seven,
which is the model of the year in two thousand
and five, and nine nine seven was my markings on
my ball.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Normally do do.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Like a cross or a line or bots whatever, but
I put nine ninety seven. That was one of the
was my goal. And after three rounds, I also I
noticed I was leading well posted the lead. I said
to myself, O case, I crossed that out, and then
put down a brand new Porsche. And then in the
far round. This is absolute truth. All I was thinking
(11:59):
about was my Porsche. The color of the of the car,
side of the wheels, the shape of the exhaust pipes,
the great break, your pillars, the interior. I'm not kidding,
you know. That's what I thought about. The whole eighteen
holes in the last round was that. And then obviously
(12:19):
I was the bigger picture of the US Open. But
I played a game within the game, you know. I
decided to keep it trying to keep it small within
something that I can control. Because you can't control the
other players, you can't control the crowds, the weather, But
I can control what I think I can achieve. And
it was that Porsche so and then its final final part,
(12:41):
and the first thing I thought about was my Porsche.
To others, I thought, we'll hang on here. I've actually
won the us O Wind as well, so that's a bonus. Yeah,
so that's a true story.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
I love that story. That is so brilliant. So on
the final afternoon, you held your nerve as others drop
shots and coming down the streets, you basically found yourself
in a straight shootout with none other then the world
number one Tiger Woods, a tenth major. It's the US Open,
so pretty much the entire fifty thousand strong gallery is
(13:13):
cheering him on. What was that like, Michael?
Speaker 4 (13:19):
How much in control it was of my mind? How
karma was surprisingly how much I was. I thought I
was going to win this. I know I can say
it now, but I think it comes down to a
(13:42):
mental resilience, mental fortitude. You know, Yes, you've got the
physical demands of going out there and playing different shots
and your swing and you're putting your chipping, your bunker,
playing and lots sort of different aspects, But it comes
down what's you know between these between your years? And
I was very very determined, and I knew that the
(14:04):
goal was very very close and the top you know,
twenty years to get there, you know, you know, as
I said before earlier in the interview, and it's not
about that particular day. It's it's how it all unfolded,
you know, with my team behind me, within the people
who were involved. For example, all the I was thinking
(14:27):
about a lot of people after the round, after after
one people helped me. It's a kid growing up at
Titahi Golf Club. I had a lot of mentors. People
used to pick me up from early mornings to take
me to a tow club when I was a kid,
you know, things like that. You know, I try to
thank them, and this is my way of thanking them,
(14:49):
was to when the biggest, biggest TALM in the world,
and there's a lot of these thousands of people, hundreds
of people who helped me out, I felt, you know,
it's it's hard hard to kind of like pin point
just a few. There's more than just a few. And
I was thinking about them really and without them, without
their help and the guidance and mentoring, this wouldn't happen. So,
(15:12):
you know, the final result was winning the US Open.
But how I got there was a great journey.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I think, amazing, amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
So you're a major winner, You've won the US Open.
How much did that win change your life?
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Cool?
Speaker 4 (15:32):
It's I wasn't prepared for it, to be honest. I
remember the I remember the first time I had a
meeting with my team, a management group at the time,
and I said, I want to go home. This is
literally a week after I won. And they said, are
(15:55):
you kidding me, There is no time. Michael said, You're
going to make time. You're going to make time to
go home and share my success with my people, and
they got that's impossible. I said, well, no, I want
ten days. So Emirates flew me over with my family
and we had a crazy ten days and a ticket
(16:17):
tape parade, homecoming tour, went to all these schools around
New Zealand to inspire young kids. I did it for
New Zealand, not for me. I didn't I didn't need
the publicity. That's the last thing I wanted. And it
was important for me because you know, my grandmother and
I were very, very close. She passed away many many
(16:37):
years ago when I was sixteen, but she always told
me that I would do something special. You know, I
was ten years old when we have these conversations. I
didn't start playing golf then, but she knew something was
you know, I was I was fashal in some sort
of way, and I thought she was a little bit
(16:58):
you know, Okay, grand made a little bit nutty, but okay,
I'll believe you. And she still there's a confidence for
me a lot so, and then when this happened, I
kind of understood what she was talking about. Now, you
always told me that one of her philosophy philosophies is
that you know, you were born with two hands, one
(17:20):
to give, one to give, one to take, one to receive. Sorry,
I want to give back, and so when I received
the serious Open victory, I wanted to give back to
my people back home and inspire people back home with
these young kids that you know, any dreams possible.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
You know.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
You imagine I was sitting down watching the best players
in the world of my father at thirteen years old,
billion hours in the morning, watching these guys play these
amazing golf courses, and I'm thinking, I want to be
there one day happen, you know, So let's go to
show that, you know, anything's possible. I mean, I know
(17:57):
that I said that word a lot, but that's one
where the sentence that comes springs to my mind every
single time I talk about this is that, you know,
I went from golf club to winning in major championships
and bidding target at the same time.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
So you can't get better than that, now.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
You cannot. What a journey. What a journey it's been.
And the journey, of course has continued over the past
twenty years. It's been a roller coaster. And in fact,
you have had some challenges, haven't you, Michael, particularly in
the last year or so.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Yes, I have.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
The last three years or so, I've going to be
going through heart problems. It's called actual fibrillation. That's quite
common back in the day, especially now. And yeah, I
had had heart surge for you about two months ago,
and I'm feeling so much better now. Actual fibrillation is
basically racing too fast. Your heart's racing too fast and
(18:55):
algorithm and I fixed that. Now. I feel like a
like a thirty year old now, all around fifty six.
I feel much younger and playing better now. Because I
was on the golf course and I was getting fatigue
and tired and couldn't focus, and it's getting pretty frustrating.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
And ippole it was just aging, you know, getting old.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Until I add a health check and I thought, okay,
cheap because the needs to need to fix this. So yeah,
it's been challenging the last two or three years. And
I put the surgery off for two years and I thought, no,
I have to do it because.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
The quality of life was wasn't good. And now I
felt great. I mean, I feel normal. I feel like
I'm waking up in the morning now.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Slept, you know, because I remember sleeping before the surgery
for eight hours, nine hours a day and waking up
in the morning I feeling tired. So I thought something's
wrong here. So yeah, it's been challenging, isn't it. And
and I feel like I'm go a second chapter going
in my my boocket right now.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
So I'm looking forward to playing.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
I still playing on the Legends Tour over fifteen now
you know, came close to winning last week, so you know,
I was bit to normal, you could say.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
So I'm pretty excited for the next you know, five
or six years.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Salwe Michael Salway. Look, I can't wait to see this
doco premiering tonight on sky dere to be different than
Michael Campbell's story Mate. Thank you so much for your
time this afternoon, and all the best for many many
more chapters in your life to come.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Thanks, thanks, Jason. I want to say that, you know,
thanks to Golf Warehouse and Kellaway Golf for sponsoring the documentary.
I'm coming back actually eating New Zealands. I'm very excited
about it. I'm playing Foxy's tournament, Chasing the Fox and
Auckland on the twelfth, twelfth of December, so I'm looking
forward to seeing all Foxy because I haven't seen Foxy
(20:51):
since he won a couple of times now on the
PGA Tour, catching up with my old sponsors Muka Honey,
you know, and playing with Joe Parker I believe as
one of the one of my partners of the Manuka
Honey in the Nika Handy team. Looking forward to catching
up for all the other celebrities I haven't seen for
a long time. So I'm really excited to come back
(21:13):
to New Zealand's been christ with my family. So yeah,
let's do it. I mean, just hopefully you're I know
you'll enjoy that the documentary. It's going to be a
little bit different.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
It's going to.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Pour a few heart strings, but also it's going to
come across a little bit different than the most because
it's pretty. It gets down to the nitty gritty of
how I became who I am as a golfer and
as a person.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
So everyone enjoys us.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
I know we will.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Great stuff.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Michael, Thanks again, mate, cheers, mate, thank you, no, thank you, Michael,
Michael Campbell. There dare to be different than Michael Campbell's
story premieres tonight on Sky Sport three at seven o'clock.
It is a cracker. I have been very lucky to
have been sent a bit of an advanced copy to
have a look at. It is terrific. It is so good,
(22:11):
and not just the footage of Michael Campbell winning the
US Open in two thousand and five and then going
back to relive it, but the stuff from his hometown
Tetahie Bay, just out of Pottydoer in Wellington's northern suburbs.
It's just so good. Huge congrats to the team at
Sports Inc. Led by Kelson Butler, Randall Monroe a big
(22:33):
part of it as well.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It is.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
I cannot say enough about it and how much you
will enjoy it. It's also going to be on sky
Open later in the year, so those without access to
Skysport will have the chance to watch it on Fredo
Wear as well. But yeah, tonight at seven o'clock Skysport
three is when at Premiers. It's got obviously a lot
of Michael Campbell in it, but interviews with the likes
of Ernie Els were Steffhurson, Colin Montgomery, Kiwi Icon SA
(22:58):
Bob Charles, Ryan Foxes and at Steve Williams. Steve Williams,
of course was on Tiger Woods Bag the day that
Michael Campbell won the US Open, when the two of
them were going head to head down the final stretch
of six or seven holes, and there's some awesome footage
of Steve Williams congratulating Michael Campbell afterwards. It's just yes
(23:20):
to say, it's awesome. It's really really good. So again,
congratulations to the team at Sports Inc. For producing it
in a massive thanks to Michael Campbell for making himself
available for such an extended period of time.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B Weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalks edb.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Dare to Be Different. The Michael Campbell Story a compelling
new feature length documentary marking the twentieth anniversary of one
of New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs, Michael Campbell's unforgettable win
at the two thousand and five US Open.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
There's the difference three with Tiger, So he's got some cushion.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Well, he's earned that cushion, especially with that funny man
in the last hole, straight up Phil.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
From here, So two puts from there to put this away.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
So ten years from letting one open slip away with
Michael Campbell, it's got a will the US Open. And
when you've had the up and down career that he has.
At one point after that risk injury which we mentioned earlier,
we thought about quitting the life while setting a.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
French hotel room back in ninety eighty.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
It's sept to three hundred and sixty in the world
rankings and it has.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Come back all the way to the top. You know
us or think you bet they've got some pride.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Darl in New Zealand from Titahi Bay to the world stage.
Michael Campbell's journey is one of grit, belief and brilliance.
Presented by Sky Sport, this documentary traces his rise from
humble beginnings to beating golf's biggest names, including Tiger Woods,
and becoming a major winner and a national hero. Dare
(01:42):
to Be Different premiers tonight from seven o'clock on Sky
Sport three. Michael Campbell is with us on Weekend Sport.
First of all, can you believe it's been twenty years
since that audio we just heard You'll win at the
US Open.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
No time has flown past, you know, over the last
twenty years, And when I look back and reminisce of
at those times, it's always obviously wonderful memories of mine
and something I'll never forget. It was an incredible ride.
But this documentary will explain to people the pathway to
my success. It wasn't about that particular day that's end result,
(02:24):
but that's the path and the journey I took to
get there, a lot of struggles and a lot of
setbacks in my time and to the victories victories I've
had as a professional golfer, and it's I.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Mean, I really enjoyed making it.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
It made me kind of really think about how I
got there in a very detailed way, you know, going
from my first coach, my dad when I was six
years old, to Dennis Sutherland, who unfortunately passed away this recently.
My first coach, really real coach. Then Mel Tongue, he
(03:02):
took me under his wing. He looked after me from
the age of sixteen onwards. Its about twenty three, twenty four,
Jonathan Yalwood. You know, all these people made it possible
with Victory, he Jill and Golf, so it wasn't just
you know, as a group of a lot of people
over time.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
And you know, it's been fun.
Speaker 4 (03:23):
I mean I went back to Pinehurst for the very
first time since I won. I went Bryson one bucking
last year and with Sports Sports Inc. And Calson and
Randall were there and and we really went through the
hole in the last eighteen holes of my round and
I said to myself, Matt, damn, this golf course is hard.
Because they had a camera crew follow me around the
(03:44):
golf course and I explained I knew every single shot.
It's incredible and it was so nice to go back
there and really just you know, go through all those
wonderful memories.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Yeah, I want to get to those in a moment.
But can we take it back, Michael, Like many key
with kids growing up, you wanted to be an all black,
didn't you? You know when and how did golf take
whold of you? Was it mainly through your dead?
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Yeah? Dad, it didn't really push me.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
But my mum didn't like me playing rugby, and I
knew it wasn't good enough. You kind of know as
a kid when you go through those phases. I started
playing rugby at five years old to about probably ten eleven.
You just know you're not good enough. And so I thought, okay,
(04:31):
I'll drop that rugby dream. And then all of a
sudden I focused on golf, and I don't know, golf
seemed easy for me at that stage, and that's when
I took up golf service around thirteen. You know, you.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
Imagine, I think it's a great story.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
You know, a kid grown up in Titahi Bay playing
on the golf course that's got sheep everywhere, fences around
the greens, one club, one boar, maybe two balls, had
a six iron, went from that to win in the
US Open, one of the biggest tournaments in the world.
So it was a great story and it's why I
wanted to share this with everyone out there. How in
(05:10):
a sometimes dreams maybe impossible, but I made it possible
by believing in my dreams. And that's one thing I
want to send a message to everyone and through this
documentary back home, is that you know, anything is possible,
anythings possible, and you know, for me, golf is more
than just a game. It's about creating moments and time
(05:32):
and memories and winning the US Circle was mine. So yeah,
it just goes to show that you eything's possible for
or you know, defew dream big.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Well, in the doco, you tell the story of standing
up on your first day at Manna College, which is
your secondary school, and announcing you wanted to be a
pro golfer and everybody laughing, presumably, I guess, because there
weren't too many MOLDI golfers around at that time. Were
you driven by wanting to break that mold or did
you just want to be a golfer?
Speaker 3 (06:06):
No, I was driven by that. Actually, yes, I remember
that day.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
It was It was at Martin College, first year at school,
when I was thirteen years old. And we had to
introduce ourselves, our names and parents and where we came from,
what they.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Did, and what's your future, what's your future goals?
Speaker 4 (06:22):
And all most classmates were saying the usual kind of thing, policemen, fireman, doctor, nurse, whatever.
And it was my time to come. I said, golf professional.
And I remember every single person in their classroom laughed
at me. I'm still there, standing standing tall, and I thought, no,
I'll tell you what. One day, I'll definitely have the
(06:43):
last laugh. And all my mates from school now play golf.
So it was it was, it was, you know, I
just wanted you're right. I mean, not many multi play
golf back in the seventies and eighties, and there was
no professional golfers on tour. I'll never forget the moment
when I thought, okay, this is my my pathway. Was
(07:05):
when I was watching Golf Life Golf with Dad earlier
hours in the morning, the US Masters back in eighties
or something like that, eighty two to eighty three, and
it's early in the morning because the time difference, and
I remember watching watching Jack Nicholas plane Augusta US Masters,
(07:25):
and I said to Dad, there's no New Zealanders in
the field. Well, no, no Malby in the field, because
are they're not good enough? Michael and I thought, well
maybe I can change that. So that really changed my
whole That's part of.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
The reason.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
Was proof of the world that Mauldy can play golf.
So I think I succeeded there.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
You certainly did. He had a high degree of amateur success,
including the Eisenhower of course, and turned professional in nineteen
ninety three. How long did it take you to feel
at home comfortable on the pro circuit?
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Very quickly, I won very quickly, about five weeks after
I turned pro. I was lucky, well lucky, a bit
of hard work, but I won very quickly. So I
felt very, very comfortable on tour. And then let's when
things forgot for me and then I finished. Then he
won the Open ninety five, so it kind of like
just compounded from there. So I went from, you know,
(08:25):
being one of the best Australasian players back in the
nineties to all of a sudden, you know, one of
the best European tour players. So I talked to elavator
to the top very quickly, some people and take the stairs.
I took the elevator, went to the top and where
that come from, I don't know, but yeah, and I
(08:47):
had success very quickly, and it was it was so
I felt very comfortable very quickly. So that's why I
think I kind of hung around for a very long
time on tour for twenty years or so before I
retired about what ten years ago now ship twelve years ago.
So yeah, I look, you know, I'm very precative of
(09:07):
my career, what I've done, and hopefully in this documentary
you will explain.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
How it kind of unfolded.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Right, Let's get to the two thousand and five US Open.
You were ranked eightieth in the world at that time,
so you had to go through qualifying to even make
it into the field for the US Open at Pinehurst
number two. Once you had done that, what were your
ambitions going into the tournament.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
That particularly.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
Moments or two or three months I was playing well,
you know, going into the US Open, and so I
set a goal and you're seeing the documentary of my
goal setting. Since I was twelve thirteen years old, I
had a little black book that kept for myself and
my mom started that for me many many years ago
(10:01):
when I was thirteen, and things like if I break
a hundred. You know, I'll buy a new driver for
breaking ninety. I've got a new cutter. So I've always
been a goal setter ever since then. My mum taught
me that a very young age. Unfortunately she passed away
a couple of years ago, but yeah, so she she
(10:23):
planted that seed in my mind about goal sitting. And
and so what I'm going to now is that week
of the US Open. Every week I had a goal,
you know, when I was out there playing, break thirty
parts or hit twelve out of fourteen fairways. You know,
I think an extra five minutes on the treadmill, you know,
an extra five sit ups or whatever it's going to be.
(10:45):
There's always something I always had.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
In my mind that week to achieve, and playing golf
was one was the the.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
Reason why I did it, but also the I was
focusing on the on the small things that make a difference,
and that was one big thing for me with a
goal setting side. That week of the US Open, and
I see myself top ten, I'm going to buy myself
a secondhand Porsche because I love my Porsches. You know,
twenty thousand miles on the clock, three four years old,
(11:19):
spend twenty five thousand pounds because I was living in
London at the time, and so I wrote nine ninety seven,
which is the model of the year in two thousand
and five, and nine nine seven was my markings on
my ball.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Normally do do.
Speaker 4 (11:35):
Like a cross or a line or bots whatever, but
I put nine ninety seven. That was one of the
was my goal. And after three rounds, I also I
noticed I was leading well posted the lead. I said
to myself, O case, I crossed that out, and then
put down a brand new Porsche. And then in the
far round. This is absolute truth. All I was thinking
(11:59):
about was my Porsche. The color of the of the car,
side of the wheels, the shape of the exhaust pipes,
the great break, your pillars, the interior. I'm not kidding,
you know. That's what I thought about. The whole eighteen
holes in the last round was that. And then obviously
(12:19):
I was the bigger picture of the US Open. But
I played a game within the game, you know. I
decided to keep it trying to keep it small within
something that I can control. Because you can't control the
other players, you can't control the crowds, the weather, But
I can control what I think I can achieve. And
it was that Porsche so and then its final final part,
(12:41):
and the first thing I thought about was my Porsche.
To others, I thought, we'll hang on here. I've actually
won the us O Wind as well, so that's a bonus. Yeah,
so that's a true story.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
I love that story. That is so brilliant. So on
the final afternoon, you held your nerve as others drop
shots and coming down the streets, you basically found yourself
in a straight shootout with none other then the world
number one Tiger Woods, a tenth major. It's the US Open,
so pretty much the entire fifty thousand strong gallery is
(13:13):
cheering him on. What was that like, Michael?
Speaker 4 (13:19):
How much in control it was of my mind? How
karma was surprisingly how much I was. I thought I
was going to win this. I know I can say
it now, but I think it comes down to a
(13:42):
mental resilience, mental fortitude. You know, Yes, you've got the
physical demands of going out there and playing different shots
and your swing and you're putting your chipping, your bunker,
playing and lots sort of different aspects, But it comes
down what's you know between these between your years? And
I was very very determined, and I knew that the
(14:04):
goal was very very close and the top you know,
twenty years to get there, you know, you know, as
I said before earlier in the interview, and it's not
about that particular day. It's it's how it all unfolded,
you know, with my team behind me, within the people
who were involved. For example, all the I was thinking
(14:27):
about a lot of people after the round, after after
one people helped me. It's a kid growing up at
Titahi Golf Club. I had a lot of mentors. People
used to pick me up from early mornings to take
me to a tow club when I was a kid,
you know, things like that. You know, I try to
thank them, and this is my way of thanking them,
(14:49):
was to when the biggest, biggest TALM in the world,
and there's a lot of these thousands of people, hundreds
of people who helped me out, I felt, you know,
it's it's hard hard to kind of like pin point
just a few. There's more than just a few. And
I was thinking about them really and without them, without
their help and the guidance and mentoring, this wouldn't happen. So,
(15:12):
you know, the final result was winning the US Open.
But how I got there was a great journey.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I think, amazing, amazing.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
So you're a major winner, You've won the US Open.
How much did that win change your life?
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Cool?
Speaker 4 (15:32):
It's I wasn't prepared for it, to be honest. I
remember the I remember the first time I had a
meeting with my team, a management group at the time,
and I said, I want to go home. This is
literally a week after I won. And they said, are
(15:55):
you kidding me, There is no time. Michael said, You're
going to make time. You're going to make time to
go home and share my success with my people, and
they got that's impossible. I said, well, no, I want
ten days. So Emirates flew me over with my family
and we had a crazy ten days and a ticket
(16:17):
tape parade, homecoming tour, went to all these schools around
New Zealand to inspire young kids. I did it for
New Zealand, not for me. I didn't I didn't need
the publicity. That's the last thing I wanted. And it
was important for me because you know, my grandmother and
I were very, very close. She passed away many many
(16:37):
years ago when I was sixteen, but she always told
me that I would do something special. You know, I
was ten years old when we have these conversations. I
didn't start playing golf then, but she knew something was
you know, I was I was fashal in some sort
of way, and I thought she was a little bit
(16:58):
you know, Okay, grand made a little bit nutty, but okay,
I'll believe you. And she still there's a confidence for
me a lot so, and then when this happened, I
kind of understood what she was talking about. Now, you
always told me that one of her philosophy philosophies is
that you know, you were born with two hands, one
(17:20):
to give, one to give, one to take, one to receive. Sorry,
I want to give back, and so when I received
the serious Open victory, I wanted to give back to
my people back home and inspire people back home with
these young kids that you know, any dreams possible.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
You know.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
You imagine I was sitting down watching the best players
in the world of my father at thirteen years old,
billion hours in the morning, watching these guys play these
amazing golf courses, and I'm thinking, I want to be
there one day happen, you know, So let's go to
show that, you know, anything's possible. I mean, I know
(17:57):
that I said that word a lot, but that's one
where the sentence that comes springs to my mind every
single time I talk about this is that, you know,
I went from golf club to winning in major championships
and bidding target at the same time.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
So you can't get better than that, now.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
You cannot. What a journey. What a journey it's been.
And the journey, of course has continued over the past
twenty years. It's been a roller coaster. And in fact,
you have had some challenges, haven't you, Michael, particularly in
the last year or so.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
Yes, I have.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
The last three years or so, I've going to be
going through heart problems. It's called actual fibrillation. That's quite
common back in the day, especially now. And yeah, I
had had heart surge for you about two months ago,
and I'm feeling so much better now. Actual fibrillation is
basically racing too fast. Your heart's racing too fast and
(18:55):
algorithm and I fixed that. Now. I feel like a
like a thirty year old now, all around fifty six.
I feel much younger and playing better now. Because I
was on the golf course and I was getting fatigue
and tired and couldn't focus, and it's getting pretty frustrating.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
And ippole it was just aging, you know, getting old.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Until I add a health check and I thought, okay,
cheap because the needs to need to fix this. So yeah,
it's been challenging the last two or three years. And
I put the surgery off for two years and I thought, no,
I have to do it because.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
The quality of life was wasn't good. And now I
felt great. I mean, I feel normal. I feel like
I'm waking up in the morning now.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
Slept, you know, because I remember sleeping before the surgery
for eight hours, nine hours a day and waking up
in the morning I feeling tired. So I thought something's
wrong here. So yeah, it's been challenging, isn't it. And
and I feel like I'm go a second chapter going
in my my boocket right now.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
So I'm looking forward to playing.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
I still playing on the Legends Tour over fifteen now
you know, came close to winning last week, so you know,
I was bit to normal, you could say.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
So I'm pretty excited for the next you know, five
or six years.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
Salwe Michael Salway. Look, I can't wait to see this
doco premiering tonight on sky dere to be different than
Michael Campbell's story Mate. Thank you so much for your
time this afternoon, and all the best for many many
more chapters in your life to come.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
Thanks, thanks, Jason. I want to say that, you know,
thanks to Golf Warehouse and Kellaway Golf for sponsoring the documentary.
I'm coming back actually eating New Zealands. I'm very excited
about it. I'm playing Foxy's tournament, Chasing the Fox and
Auckland on the twelfth, twelfth of December, so I'm looking
forward to seeing all Foxy because I haven't seen Foxy
(20:51):
since he won a couple of times now on the
PGA Tour, catching up with my old sponsors Muka Honey,
you know, and playing with Joe Parker I believe as
one of the one of my partners of the Manuka
Honey in the Nika Handy team. Looking forward to catching
up for all the other celebrities I haven't seen for
a long time. So I'm really excited to come back
(21:13):
to New Zealand's been christ with my family. So yeah,
let's do it. I mean, just hopefully you're I know
you'll enjoy that the documentary. It's going to be a
little bit different.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
It's going to.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Pour a few heart strings, but also it's going to
come across a little bit different than the most because
it's pretty. It gets down to the nitty gritty of
how I became who I am as a golfer and
as a person.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
So everyone enjoys us.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
I know we will.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
Great stuff.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
Michael, Thanks again, mate, cheers, mate, thank you, no, thank you, Michael,
Michael Campbell. There dare to be different than Michael Campbell's
story premieres tonight on Sky Sport three at seven o'clock.
It is a cracker. I have been very lucky to
have been sent a bit of an advanced copy to
have a look at. It is terrific. It is so good,
(22:11):
and not just the footage of Michael Campbell winning the
US Open in two thousand and five and then going
back to relive it, but the stuff from his hometown
Tetahie Bay, just out of Pottydoer in Wellington's northern suburbs.
It's just so good. Huge congrats to the team at
Sports Inc. Led by Kelson Butler, Randall Monroe a big
(22:33):
part of it as well.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It is.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
I cannot say enough about it and how much you
will enjoy it. It's also going to be on sky
Open later in the year, so those without access to
Skysport will have the chance to watch it on Fredo
Wear as well. But yeah, tonight at seven o'clock Skysport
three is when at Premiers. It's got obviously a lot
of Michael Campbell in it, but interviews with the likes
of Ernie Els were Steffhurson, Colin Montgomery, Kiwi Icon SA
(22:58):
Bob Charles, Ryan Foxes and at Steve Williams. Steve Williams,
of course was on Tiger Woods Bag the day that
Michael Campbell won the US Open, when the two of
them were going head to head down the final stretch
of six or seven holes, and there's some awesome footage
of Steve Williams congratulating Michael Campbell afterwards. It's just yes
(23:20):
to say, it's awesome. It's really really good. So again,
congratulations to the team at Sports Inc. For producing it
in a massive thanks to Michael Campbell for making himself
available for such an extended period of time.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk sed B Weekends from midday or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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