Golf: Campbell unworried at being drawn against Woods

New Zealand's hottest sports figure, Michael Campbell, has the dream draw he wanted in next week's World Golf Championship.

Campbell, winner of a stunning four tournaments on the Australasian circuit this season, will meet world No 1 Tiger Woods at the La Costa Spa and Resort at Carlsbad, California in the $US5 million ($10.4 million) matchplay championship starting February 24.

"Obviously I'm pretty excited to be going one-to-one with the best player in the world," Campbell said yesterday.

"The pressure will be on him, really, because I'm the underdog."

Campbell won the Johnnie Walker Classic in Taiwan in the opening Australasian Tour event in November, and only American left-hander Phil Mickelson has beaten Woods since then as he cut a record-setting swathe through the United States Tour.

Campbell is the first player since Greg Norman in 1988 to win four tournaments on the circuit.

His win in the Australian Masters in Melbourne last Sunday lifted him to 65th in the world, but with Japanese player Jumbo Ozaki, ranked No 36, already having dropped out of the event, Campbell moved up one notch to square off against Woods.

The 30-year-old Sydney-based Wellingtonian, whom the Australian media have started to refer to as "Iron Mike," said he was sure the match would attract a blaze of publicity in the United States.

But he was unconcerned about the impending attention or at having to meet Woods first.

"I have a lot of respect for Tiger, but it doesn't bother me whether I play him or [world No 2] David Duval or whoever," he said.

"The way I'm playing right now, I feel pretty much in control of things.

"Obviously there will be a lot of media hype around the match in America, but it's a matter of turning things around in a positive way."

The world's top 64 players are in a single-elimination tournament spread over five days, with 18-hole matches and a 36-hole final.

Defending champion Jeff Maggert, who won the inaugural WGC event with a chip in for birdie at the 38th hole, is ranked No 20 and will meet Bob Tway in the first round.

Second seed Duval meets Argentine Angel Cabrera, No 3 Colin Montgomerie faces Dennis Paulson and No 4 Davis Love will oppose Olin Browne.

A year ago, five of the top 10 seeds were eliminated in the first round, and all but Woods were gone by the second round. Maggert beat Woods in the quarter-finals.

Woods, whose six-tournament United States PGA Tour winning streak was ended by Mickelson at the Buick Invitational on Monday, will have a marquee match-up in the first round for the second successive year. He played Nick Faldo last year and won 4 and 3.

One apparent disadvantage that Campbell believed was a positive factor for him was Woods' phenomenal length off the tee.

He said hitting first on to the greens would give him the opportunity to put the squeeze on his opponent.

"I'll be hitting to the par-four greens first because he is such a long hitter that I'll be behind him," he said.

"So what I'll try to do is apply the pressure early by getting the approach close before he does."