Former US Open 支持する／優勝者 Michael Campbell: I get so low I want to give it all up

By Derek Lawrenson for MailOnline Updated: 23:12 BST, 24 January 2010

A world away from the starry halfway leaderboard featuring Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy lies a man who once rose higher than any of them but 権利 now has never felt more low.

M ichael Campbell 収容する／認めるs there are days when he wonders whether it is time to やめる. Five years ago, this most personable of Kiwis held off Tiger 支持を得ようと努めるd to 勝利，勝つ a US Open so thrilling, 議会 was 一時停止するd 支援する home so the 政治家，政治屋s could watch

Yesterday, they might have felt like wearing 黒人／ボイコット armbands as the 40-year-old followed up an 開始 83 in the Abu Dhabi 選手権 with a 77 to finish 27 発射s behind his playing partner, Swede Peter Hanson.

Dhabi and groan: Campbell is at an かつてない low after （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域ing Tiger 支持を得ようと努めるd to the 2005 US Open

Yes, golfers get paid too much but Cambo, as he is known to one and all, is perhaps the perfect illustration of what they must go through to earn it. Watch him on the practice 範囲 and he strikes the ball beautifully. Once he gets to the first tee, however, it is another 事柄 完全に.

'It is like there are two Michael Campbells and it is just a shocker 権利 now,' he said.

'I've had lows before and I've come through them but hopefully this is the last time because I've just had enough of it.

'Yes, there are days when I think about doing something else, take 12 months out perhaps. But what would I do for a year? I can sense my peers are feeling for me and trying to help. Ernie Els told me he got so low he just concentrated on trying to break 40 for nine 穴を開けるs.

'Tiger's caddie Steve Williams told me to be more 積極的な, because when you're 防御の you start thinking too negatively. It's all very h elpful, but the 底（に届く） line is it's 負かす／撃墜する to me.'

Perhaps only David Duval has ever had a career featuring such 劇の highs and lows as Campbell. Ask him why it has happened in his 事例／患者 and this ever-honest soul doesn't mince his words. 'I've 遂行するd a lot in my life but when it happens I then take it too 平易な, get into a 慰安 zone, stop practising and working out,' he said.

'It is almost like I do it on 目的 to get away from the スポットライト. But I'm 行方不明の it now.'

While Cambo 退却／保養地d to the corner of the 範囲 in the company of his sports psychologist, a goodly mix of 設立するd European 星／主役にするs and thrusting up-and-comers relaxed に引き続いて 36 穴を開けるs in which most had 越えるd their 期待s.

Leader by one, however, is little-known Aussie Rick Kulacz, who 掴むd on the clement late afternoon 条件s, as the 勝利，勝つd died 負かす／撃墜する to 地位，任命する a 63 that 含むd a startling run of eight birdies in nine 穴を開けるs. His closest pursuers are Garcia, Hanson and Irishman Shane Lowry, with Welshman Rhys Davies and ツバメ Kaymer two behind. A その上の 発射 流浪して are Poulter and McIlroy.

Garcia never fell anywhere 近づく as far as Campbell last season but it was a 堅い one in which he 分裂（する） from Greg Norman's daughter Morgan-Leigh off the course and struggled 猛烈に with his chipping on it.

'It was a good learning year on and off the course and yes, I was happy when it ended,' 認める the Spaniard. 'I was just getting my 長，率いる together at the end of the year and then I 負傷させるd my 手渡す. But this has been a good start, way above what I 推定する／予想するd.'

Lowry, of course, won that sensational Irish Open last year while still an amateur. He turned プロの／賛成の and 乗る，着手するd upon what might be regarded as a six-month 見習いの身分制度. The way he played over the first two 一連の会議、交渉／完成するs here 示すs he is starting to get to 支配するs with the paid game.

'I showed at the Irish Open that my best ゴルフ was good enough, and since then it has been a 事例／患者 of getting my swing neater so I can be more 一貫した,' he said.

Davies played in the same 2007 Walker Cup team as McIlroy. He went to college in America on a ゴルフ scholarship and said to his coach: 'One thing you should know about me is that I am very 競争の激しい.'

Two 勝利，勝つs on the Challenge 小旅行する last year and now he gets a chance to mix it with the big boys after taking 十分な advantage of a last-minute 招待. Born in Scotland and a keen 支持者 of England's cricket team, the 24-year-old Welshman might just be the man to raise the profile of ゴルフ in the principality.

Finally, it is not only Campbell who can't fathom this game. How about Europe's No 1, 物陰／風下 Westwood?

Two months ago in these parts he played probably as good as a man can play to 勝利，勝つ the Dubai World 選手権. Yesterday he 発射 78 to 行方不明になる the 削減（する） by five 発射s. Talk about a 一連の会議、交渉／完成する to bring a man 支援する 負かす／撃墜する to earth.