Campbell has a liking for links

CONSIDERING the failure of the Irish contingent to keep the title at home for 22 years, it is more than a little surprising that Darren Clarke and Pádraig Harrington have been installed as favourites for the Nissan Irish Open beginning over the links at Baltray this morning.

Clarke, 9-1, and Harrington, 10-1, offer reasonable value but coming on the heels of a disappointing campaign so far for both men, the fear is that the barren spell will continue and that one needs to look further afield for the 2004 champion.

Holder Michael Campbell, at 12-1, is just one of a host of players to look out for, not least because he has been expressing a deep liking for the course. It looked an absolute picture yesterday for the pro-am with grandstands located at the 10th, 17th, 18th and practice ground and the course widely praised by all the players.

Disappointingly, three times champion Nick Faldo withdrew yesterday having aggravated shoulder and neck injuries in the pro-am. He joined Phillip Price, Thomas Bjorn, Thomas Levet and Barry Lane who have also opted out.

This has opened the way for a few late additions, Darren Leng of England replacing Faldo and Killarney's Danny Sugrue was also accommodated, fitting reward for his fine effort in last week's Open. The prize fund is a record €1.9m with €316,660 for the winner, €211,110 for the runner-up and €118,940 for third.

Nice pickings if you can make them and, with a highly prestigious title also on offer, Kiwi Campbell has set his sights firmly on winning in this country for the third successive year. He scored in the Smurfit European Open at The K-Club in 2002 and in the Irish Open at Portmarnock last year with a first tie-hole birdie against Bjorn and Peter Hedblom.

He regards Portmarnock and Baltray as "different animals" and continued: "This is a great golf course. It is my first time here, as it is for most players this week, and we find it both wonderful and testing. I played yesterday when it was blowing 40 knots and it was brutal. There are a few tough holes but, on the whole, it is great to play and is very fair."

As with all links courses, the elements will play a key role in the outcome. Baltray is never a pushover but in yesterday's benign conditions, it was there for the taking. If it remains as calm as this over the next four days, I have little doubt that the winner will need to be in double figures under par to have a chance. But if it cuts up rough - as it can do in these parts - then something around even par will pick up a lot of money.

"I played with a couple of friends on Tuesday and they claimed if the wind stayed like that, six over would win the tournament it was that hard," said Campbell.

"This is a real hidden gem, a wonderful course to play, and all the comments have been positive. I would love to see most of our tournaments played on links. Golf is all about playing on these courses, different shots, different kinds of conditions. They can change 10 times within five hours because of the direction of the wind. If it changes by just five or six degrees, it becomes a different golf course. I find it so attractive as it is so challenging every day. You could be hitting driver, sand wedge on one hole and three hours later it's driver and three wood on the same hole." And he added pointedly: "My game suits the variations."

It may be recalled that Campbell was coming off a very lean spell as last year's tournament got under way. He had tried his luck on the US Tour only to be greeted by missed cuts and a lot of disillusionment. He was slipping out of the top 50 in the world rankings and believes his victory at Portmarnock kick-started his career.

"It has really helped me to be better as a player," he admitted. "Every time you win a tournament anywhere in the world makes you a better player. After my performance last year, I am feeling confident about defending my title and playing in future championships. I have no plans to return to the States. I like the differences over here. I enjoy the culture in Europe and the players, too. In America there is a sameness."

Campbell believes Irish players like Darren Clarke, Pádraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell have "an advantage" playing at home and dismisses suggestions that they will suffer from the greater level of expectation and the consequent pressure. He feels he, too, has support in Ireland and added: "I used to feel added pressure playing in New Zealand but not any more. I am used to it now. You learn to overcome those mental problems."

So what would he say to those Irish players who have gone 22 years without lifting the trophy? "Harden up," he advised with a mischievous grin.