Michael Campbell plants a kiss on the US Open trophy. (Photo courtesy Bernie McGuire – Getty)
By Bernie McGuire
IT doesn’t seem like 20 years ago.
Yet it was a Monday morning in June when golf fans all over Australia and just about every person in the Land Of The Long White Cloud ground to a halt.
Michael Campbell was already a New Zealand golfing legend, having won six of a career haul of eight DP World Tour titles, along with seven PGA Tour of Australasian victories and an Asian Tour win.
Though nothing quite prepared New Zealand for the manner of Cambo’s US Open triumph, coming as it did 42 years after Bob Charles’ 1963 Open Championship success, with Campbell’s maiden major also denying Tiger Woods at his peak.
On that historic Monday New Zealand’s morning trains and buses were virtually empty along with offices, shopping centres and even the country’s Parliament halted proceedings to watch TV coverage of Cambo’s stride to victory ahead of him being handed the gleaming US Open trophy.
‘Cambo’, as he is affectionately known, was on the opposite side of the globe on Sunday, June 19, and contesting a 29th career major at the then 105th hosting of the US Open Championship on the famed Pinehurst No. 2 resort course in North Carolina.
Cambo had teed-up on day four sharing fourth place at one-over and four shots behind South African Retief Goosen, the defending champ and a two-time US Open winner, the only player then under par, with Woods a further two shots back of Campbell and tied-seventh.
Goosen nosedived off the leaderboard, shooting an 81 and falling back into an eventual tie for 11th place.
Into the breach jumped the then-36-year-old Cambo who boldly held off a charging Tiger to become only the second New Zealander to win a major championship, his four birdie, three bogey 69, joint best round of the day.
Woods, who had been chasing his 10th career major, rallied from a bogey-bogey start and reeled off four birdies in the last nine holes to secure second place with a matching 69 and a plus two tally.
This journalist was present at the 2005 US Open, while I was also at the 1995 Open Championship when Cambo led going into the last day at St Andrews only to miss the play-off for the Claret Jug by a single shot.
I was filing copy to New Zealand Press Agency and as well as Cambo’s website.
Now, 20 years down the track, we bumped into each other at one of the world’s oldest golf courses Crail, just up the road from St Andrews.
Michael Campbell, at the 2025 US Senior Open, makes occasional appearances on the Champions Tour in the US and on the Legends Tour in Europe.
“It’s great to see you Bernie, it’s remarkable it’s been 20-years and nice to be back here in Scotland and see you again,” said Cambo.
“It was a special moment in my career all those years ago since that stunning performance. It was a special week for me and to beat Tiger when he was in his prime made it even more special.
“Obviously, it changed my life.
“So, it’s nice to be back here in Scotland and to see you.
“As well, it’s just so good to be back here and playing links golf.
“I love this type of golf and it’s always been my favourite form of the game.”
Cambo and I became great friends while I was filing copy to various UK and Irish newspapers along with Associated Press and the French-based AFP in a career finding myself happily travelling the world to report on the men’s pro game.
Cambo turned 50 in 2019, began competing in Senior Tour events and our paths crossed at the 2019 Dunhill Links Championship.
Five years earlier, I know how much it hurt him to post on his website news that his 28-year marriage had broken down, while also indicating an injury was forcing him to withdraw from the 2014 US Open at Pinehurst, the site of his overwhelming US Open triumph.
I walked a few holes with him at Crail before the delight in formally speaking to him on the 12th tee of the Balcomie Links course at Crail.
“Gee 20 years has gone by fast,” said Cambo.
“It seems like only yesterday and the memories of sinking that putt at the last hole and then being at the peak of my career was kind of special.
“Then to win the World Match-Play three months later.
“I had a pretty hot run that June, July and August . . . winning the US Open, fifth in The Open at St. Andrews, sixth in the PGA Championship and then to win the Match-Play.”
Fast forward to mid-2025 and you can imagine our joint surprise when, purely by chance, we bumped into each other on the front steps of the Crail Golfing Society clubhouse at golf’s seventh oldest club, Crail in Scotland.
Cambo was exiting the clubhouse, and I was gathered with dozens of other golfers who had left both courses at due to a lightning warning that had halted play.
It was Cambo’s first visit to this corner of eastern Scotland since that 2019 Dunhill Links Championship.
We embraced and many of those looking on recognised it was former US Open winner Michael Campbell.
Cambo had been playing the Gil Hanse designed Craighead Links course, indicating his group would be returning to Crail the next day to play the 189Old Tom Morris-designed Balcomie Links course.
Then when Cambo arrived the next morning, I was there to welcome him back to Crail.
It was like old times, me as the golf journalist walking the fairways and greens with Cambo, taking a handful of snaps and also savouring a wonderful four minute video chat with him as we stood on the 12th tee overlooking St Andrews Bay.
Cambo is now living in Spain where he proudly owns and manages the Villa Padierna Michael Campbell Golf Academy at Marbella’s Villa Padierna Golf Resort, which opened in March 2014.
It means he plays little professional golf.
Bernie McGuire meets up with 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell at the Crail course in Scotland.
“I’m 56 years old now, so for the past five or six years I have been playing several events on the Legends and Champions Tour’s and that means around 10 events a year while I am involved with my academy, as well,” he said.
“It’s been great for me to give back to the game that has given me so much.
“I am also trying to do other things besides playing golf now.”
I asked Cambo his thoughts on the present state of the men’s professional game, still divided as it is.
“It’s different and totally different to when I was playing,” he said.
“Obviously when I was playing, we had Tiger around and he is the only one, and still the only one, who moves the needle in golf, I think.
“You have Rory and Scottie Scheffler doing their things, which is fantastic.
“Rory winning the Grand Slam this year was unbelievable.
“But then it’s completely shifted and the game has changed in a different way.
“These guys out there competing now hit the ball so far now and compared to when I was playing … they’re now flying the ball in the air 310-320 yards, so it’s a very different ball game.
“It’s a power game rather than a feel game. I’m old school and I think it is a shame really as the artistry of the game has been taken away and power has taken over.”
One golfer Cambo does keep an eye on is fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox, now a two-time winner on the PGA Tour.
“What Ryan had achieved on the DP World Tour, then moving last year full-time to the PGA Tour and now to having won twice this year is just fantastic,” said Campbell.
“The next level winning for him is definitely a major.”
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