Golf: Michael Campbell lifts lid on sacrifice, family and early days in the game

Michael Campbell. Photo / Photosport

Kiwi golfer Michael Campbell has opened up about his early days in the game and how he's now making up for being an "absent father".

In the latest Player Blog, the Major winner reflected on the first time he left New Zealand aged 23 to play in the European Tour.

He said it didn't take long before the sacrifice of being away from home and his family started to take its toll.

"When you turn professional in any sport you make a lot of sacrifices. The sacrifices you make are very personal – you're away from your family, and while you are used to playing an individual sport, it's tough," he wrote.

"When you're younger, you think you're more resilient. You're so excited to be out there and playing. So, jetlag and being away from your family maybe doesn't count as much because you are so passionate about your sport and your career. You're just thinking about performing well against the world's best players. If you want to be the best player you can possibly be, you need to do things like that.

New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell celebrates with his family after winning the New Zealand Golf Open in 2000. Photo / Photosport

"In the early days I couldn't fly back and forth all the time - I couldn't afford it - so in 1995 I decided to move over to Europe. I had to because I had a full card at that time."

After winning the Eisenhower Trophy with the New Zealand team in 1992, Campbell went professional and made an impressive run at the 1995 Open Champion, leading the tournament by two shots heading into the final round before finishing third.

In 2005 he became just the second New Zealander to win a golf major when he beat out the likes of Tiger Woods and Sergio García in the final round to claim the US Open title.

Later that same year, he took out the world matchplay championship but hasn't claimed a US or European tour win since.

Nowadays, Campbell said he "still enjoys the grind" but competing has been made more special with his son on the bag.

Michael Campbell after winning the HSBC World Matchplay in 2005. Photo / Photosport

"I'm enjoying the father and son bonding because, as a touring professional golfer, I was an absent father through most of his younger years," he said.

"My son is 22 now, so he was seven when I won the U.S. Open and the Match Play. Yes, he can remember me coming home after the U.S. Open, but those aren't vivid memories. So, playing with him on the bag, he loves it.

"To share it with him, good and bad – especially the last couple of months – I'm still enjoying it."