Changes pay off for Campbell

New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell flew to America today £1m (€1.47m) richer - thanks in part to a heart-to-heart talk with his wife Julie earlier this year.

Brighton-based Campbell beat Ireland’s Paul McGinley in the final of the HSBC World Match Play championship at Wentworth.

He then spoke about the remarkable change in his career which has led to a first major title – the US Open in June – and now the biggest cheque in golf.

“I missed five cuts in a row at the start of the year, but didn’t push the panic button,” said the 36-year-old.

“I worked on different aspects of my life, not just golf. There are other things that make you tick as a person and make you feel good about yourself.

“That’s the bottom line. My wife and I found things deep down that weren’t good.”

Campbell did not want to elaborate on exactly what they were, but the consequences were changes to “Team Cambo” – a new psychologist, fitness trainer and manager and a new arrangement with his Florida-based coach Jonathan Yarwood, who now travels with him far more.

The fitness work paid massive dividends in a gruelling week when he beat Australians Geoff Ogilvy and Steve Elkington, top seed Retief Goosen and then McGinley, who from all square with four to play bogeyed the next two holes.

Campbell, who plays this week for the Rest of the World (minus Europe) against the United States in the Presidents Cup, is back at the top of the European Order of Merit.

McGinley has moved through the £1m (€1.47m) mark for the year himself with his £400,000 (€594,000) runners-up cheque, but he departed “bitterly disappointed.”

The 38-year-old Ryder Cup star has still not won a solo title for four years and has now had four near misses this season.

He lost a play-off to Paul Casey in China, was pushed into second place by Angel Cabrera in the BMW Championship at Wentworth and was joint leader in the NEC world championship in Akron last month, but bogeyed the 17th and finished third behind Tiger Woods and Chris DiMarco.

“It hurts more than you could imagine,” he said. “I need to get over the finishing line again. I fought as hard as I could, but my game was not quite good enough and I felt the ball never ran for me.”

Campbell, for instance, was a foot from going out of bounds at the 30th hole, but birdied and won the hole.

McGinley, who represents Britain and Ireland against Continental Europe in the Seve Trophy at The Wynyard in County Durham from Thursday to Sunday, was left to rue the bogeys that followed.

He conceded mental fatigue played a part, but added: “I challenge anybody not to make mistakes on the last day.

“Eight rounds in four days is ferocious.”

Campbell was the main beneficiary, of course, of the fact that this year the 16-man field lacked the world’s top four in Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickelson and the injured Ernie Els, plus Sergio Garcia, Fred Couples, Davis Love and DiMarco.

He admits he is “bewildered” by their failure to play.

“I think this tournament should be highly regarded by a lot of players. There’s the history of it and we’re playing for £1m (€1.47m) – that equates to a wonderful tournament in my mind, but not in others,” said Campbell.

He will enjoy the money, of course, but he insisted that was not the main reason for celebrating.

“Financially I am obviously quite set, but competing and winning is why we play the game. We play for the prestige and honour of being part of history,” declared Campbell.

The Americans who stayed away – and Singh – can argue that the week before the Presidents Cup match was not the time to be putting themselves through such an energy-sapping event.

Why Garcia has not played the last two years is a bit more mystifying, especially as the Match Play carried Ryder Cup points this time.

There is talk of it being staged the week before the Ryder Cup next season. If so, captain Ian Woosnam might hope none of his side gets to the final and feels as whacked as Campbell and McGinley did last night.

In fact, it might prompt some of them to join the no-shows.