Many Irish Open players ‘have given up already’, says Campbell

US Open champion Michael Campbell believes half the field in the Nissan Irish Open, which gets underway today, have already talked themselves out of contention.

Wet-and-windy weather greeted the players in practice, and with the Colin Montgomerie-designed course measuring 7,301 yards, all the talk in the locker room was of high scores and hard work this week.

Campbell is happy to take on the elements as well as his peers, and believes anyone caught whinging have given themselves a two-shot penalty before teeing off.

“If the weather is cold and wet and windy, a lot of people, more than half the field have given up already,” said Campbell, fifth in the British Masters at The Belfry on Sunday.

“It’s fantastic. That means these guys have gone already.

“You’ve got to say to yourself it’s the same for everybody else.

“It’s going to be wet and cold, the course is going to be playing long, so no point whinging about it, just get on with the job.

“We got to Pinehurst last year and there’s guys complaining about how fast the greens are, and how undulating they are.

“You just think they have a two-shot penalty before they tee off.”

Campbell has enjoyed a hectic year since his surprise first major title last year at Pinehurst, where he held off the challenge of Tiger Woods over the closing stretch.

The Kiwi finally had to hand back the trophy recently but is determined that he will be reunited with it sooner rather than later.

“It’s funny, it was like my right arm the last 11 months, the trophy was there all the time travelling with me,” added Campbell, among the later starters at Carton House this afternoon.

“I gave it a kiss goodbye and said ‘I’ll see you later girl’.

“The most important thing I’m trying to do is not defend my title; it’s to win it.

“In American football a defensive team has to protect their goal line and to me being on the defensive is not how to play golf. I play golf by being pretty aggressive.

“So when I get to Winged Foot in four weeks’ time I’m going to go out and try to win it, not defend it.”

Before getting to Winged Foot, Campbell has more public appearances to fit into his schedule, including ringing the opening bell on Wall Street and throwing out the first pitch at a New York Yankees game.