Golf: Coach drives for Cambo consistency

Michael Campbell

Jonathon Yarwood says his decision to work fulltime with Michael Campbell is to help eradicate the New Zealander's dramatic fluctuations in form.

Campbell signed the Orlando-based Yarwood to a three-year deal earlier this year after coach David Leadbetter agreed to release him to work with the New Zealander.

Yarwood will remain based in Florida, but unlike previous years, he will travel more regularly to Europe to work with Campbell.

Since agreeing to the deal, Campbell has broken out of a wretched start to the 2005 season by finishing third in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Beijing, and leading into the final round of the British Masters before ending in fourth spot.

"First and foremost I don't want Michael to become dependent on me. I don't want to see him over-coached," Yarwood said.

"I will be at Michael's disposal, but I still have a relationship with David Leadbetter. All that has happened is that I have been allowed to conduct my own affairs to work with Michael.

"I haven't totally severed my ties with David and his academy.

"My job with Michael is to get him to the point where he can take care of his game, have confidence in what he does, and almost make him independent of me."

Despite Yarwood's deal with Campbell, he will still work with Stephen Scahill and Germany's Alex Cejka, and a handful of women on the US LPGA Tour.

Campbell and Yarwood will meet every four weeks, in contrast to previous years when Campbell would travel to Florida in the week before a major or Yarwood would make the odd visit to Europe.

The previous deal meant Campbell having to talk at length on the phone to Yarwood and also email his swing to Yarwood in Orlando.

"This arrangement should be more beneficial," Yarwood said.

"It was unsettling late last year when he was missing cuts, and there were issues that were unsettling him on and off the course.

"No one was happy, but we actually worked harder in those periods to get him back compared to other periods when he was playing reasonably well, like he is now.

"When things go bad you look for answers, but then you have to be careful that no one panics.

"Both of us were pretty calm during that period late last year, while there were a lot of others on the peripheral who were panicking.

"But we took it all in our stride, and hats off to Michael for his handling of matters in that time.

"I want to get him to the point where he doesn't have those depressing lows ... a player of his quality shouldn't have them.

"He should always be up there. But if you do look at his playing career it has been a rollercoaster ride. If I can keep him confident, keep on top of things and motivated - which is why I am on board a bit more - we may be able to eliminate that trait.

"He can't win every week, but he can be more consistent. His bad week must be when he is out of the top 25 in any event and not missing the cut by six shots.

"It is my goal to eradicate those deep troughs in his career and get his golf more consistent.

" Being more close at hand, I won't have to go into so much technical detail, and all I will be doing is monitoring so that it should get easier and easier on each occasion we see each other.

"But I have to say that of all the players I have worked with, Cambo's career has more deep troughs than any other.

"Though that is how the game works - you can look at anybody's career.

"You just try not to make the troughs too deep. Take Thomas Bjorn. He overhauled Michael last fortnight to win the British Masters, but a year ago he walked off the course complaining demons had got into his game.

"Cambo is a great guy to work with. He's relaxed and doesn't panic, and he's extremely talented, so he's a dream to work with."

Campbell and Scahill will tee-up in today's BMW Championship at Wentworth in Surrey.

The 4 million ($7 million) event is the biggest tournament in Europe outside the British Open.

- NZPA