Golf: Campbell to defend aggressively

New Zealander Michael Campbell will be looking to join a very select band of men when he tees off in the Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne tomorrow.

Only six players - Tiger Woods, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam and Peter Thomson - have captured the same European tour title three years in a row since the war.

Campbell, a six-stroke winner two years ago and five-shot winner last year, hopes to benefit from the advice of former All Black rugby union star Zinzan Brooke in his bid.

‘‘When you just try to defend something you get too complacent,’’ said the 32-year-old. ‘‘Zinzan said to go out there and try to win it, don’t try to defend it.

‘‘He played with the All Blacks for 10 years. They defended the Tri-Nation series and the Bledisloe Cup and his Auckland Blues side defended their title every year for 10 years.’’

Faldo and Els are among Campbell’s rivals this week - and Montgomerie would have been but for the back injury which forced him to make an early exit from the Johnnie Walker Classic last Friday.

Montgomerie completed his hat-trick at the 2000 Volvo PGA championship, while Faldo had three successive Irish Open wins from 1991 to 1993.

The 44-year-old has not had a solo success for nearly five years now, but he can still associate with how Campbell is feeling.

‘‘After I won my first Masters at Augusta I really had the feeling when I went back there that it was my title and I didn’t want to give it up,’’ stated Faldo.

‘‘I had spent 11 months thinking ‘I’m going to defend it, I’m going to defend it’ and then just before the tournament I changed my thinking.

‘‘To Hell with defending, I thought, I’m going to go out and win it again.’’

And, of course, he did, beating Raymond Floyd in a play-off to emulate Jack Nicklaus’ previously unique feat of back-to-back Masters.

The difference for Campbell is that his two previous victories were both at The Vines in Perth.

But the Kiwi does have happy memories of Royal Melbourne, being part of the International side which thrashed the Americans in the President’s Cup two years ago.

‘‘I know from personal experience that the greens are the key to the whole tournament,’’ he added. ‘‘If it is dry for the next four days come Sunday they will be so fast and difficult.’’

Like Australians Greg Norman and Robert Allenby, Campbell would have preferred a different finishing stretch to the one which has been decided upon in the composite lay-out of the East and West courses.

Holes 12 to 18 are all par fours and Campbell said: ‘‘I don’t know why the tournament organisers do it this way they must have a reason.

‘‘On a professional basis our knowledge is separate to what they know. Obviously they know how to run a golf tournament and we know how to play a golf course in a certain way.

‘‘Maybe there should be some communication between ourselves and the tournament directors.’’

Faldo is keen to build on his 10th-place finish in the Johnnie Walker Classic.

He has not been to Royal Melbourne for over 10 years, but during another trip to Australia last year came and captured some of the bunkers on video.

‘‘This one of the great classics of the world great playing-wise and for the budding architect, like what I am!

‘‘It’s probably a little easier driving than in times gone by with the ball now flying quite happily over some of the traps. But around the green it is as tough as anywhere.’’

Asked the difference in himself from the last time he played competitively at the course Faldo, having just completed his pro-am round, answered: ‘‘If you list the muscles that are aching now you could fill your column.

‘‘I am a different guy. I was the guy to beat back in the early 1990s. Now I’m trying to catch up with these youngsters and guys who bomb it 90 yards past you.

‘‘But I’m enjoying my golf because I’m still out there doing something I love. I still enjoy the thrill and frustration.

‘‘Finally I’ve sorted out an awful lot of things over the last five years. Everything is going great in my life, on and off the course.’’ He was married for a third time last July.

John Daly, on his fourth wife, and Greg Norman are the other big names taking part, while the organisers have seized on the chance to put three of the game’s top young players - England’s

Justin Rose, a winner two weeks ago in South Africa, and Australians Adam Scott and Aaron Baddeley - in the same group on the first two days.

Baddeley is recovering from the tonsillitis, which led to him withdrawing last week after surviving the cut.