World events should travel more

Michael Campbell believes the lucrative World Golf Championship events should become a truly global series.

Three of this year’s four WGC events are being held in America with only the World Cup to be staged outside the United States at Vilamoura in Portugal in November.

“I would like to see it somewhere a little bit further away than just America all the time,” said the US Open champion ahead of his first round in the American Express Championship in San Francisco.

“I believe that we should somehow get over to Asia. It is called a world event and there is always that one token event that is outside America. I would like to see maybe two outside America instead of one.

“Obviously Americans don’t like to travel. That’s one of the reasons I think they do have the WGC tournaments here which is unfortunate. But there are Americans who travel, like Tiger Woods, who is playing in Shanghai next month which is great for the game.

“I do wish more Americans would do the same thing. I am a global player. I always enjoy playing different parts of the world.”

Asked about the influence of television in such scheduling, Campbell admitted: “I suppose TV pays most of the bills and we have got to please those guys. But once again, this is the game of golf, it should be spread around the world and I am a firm believer in that.”

Campbell’s victory in the US Open at Pinehurs – his first major title – and the World Match Play at Wentworth mean he tops the European Tour Order of Merit with just four events remaining.

But the New Zealander now has seven-time winner Colin Montgomerie breathing down his neck after the Scot’s triumph in the Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday.

“It makes it very interesting for the next couple of weeks,” added Campbell, who is £85,000 (€125,000) ahead of Montgomerie on the money list. “I believe Retief Goosen is injured (Goosen pulled out with a groin injury) so he is out of the equation but myself, Monty and Angel Cabrera have a chance to win.

“I have won a major, I want to win more, and I also want to win a world event which is my next goal.”

Meanwhile Campbell might get his wish of more American players travelling to events around the world after Phil Mickelson – normally the most reluctant of globetrotters – confirmed he has been approached to play in the Qatar Masters on the European Tour in January next year.

“I am not sure about that yet,” Mickelson said. “We are discussing things but it has not been finalised yet. It is tricky with some of my representation agreements to skip away at that time of year but we are still trying to make it work.”