Michael Campbell is hoping the hype surrounding Tiger Woods' appearance at the New Zealand Open will help him to post his second tournament victory.
Campbell was besieged by supporters at this year's Open at The Grange in Auckland, where he finished second to fellow New Zealander David Smail.
A boisterous gallery followed Campbell's every move, but he struggled at times and was distracted by the attention.
Campbell predicted that Woods would be in for a similar ride.
"Every time he plays a tournament there is a huge amount of hype and pressure on him to perform," Campbell said.
"That's one thing he does very well, is perform under pressure - but he'll be a great diversion for me.
"I'm going to use all the expectations and pressure on him as a positive for me.
"What he'll do is take away a lot of attention and pressure from my shoulders.
"It's going to be huge for New Zealand golf having him [Woods] there, and great for the country in general."
Campbell's world ranking has slipped to No 28 this year after climbing into the top 15.
He said he was itching to return to the venue where he last won the Open, in 1999, secured in a playoff which sparked a rich period in his career.
"The expectation is for him [Woods] to win basically," Campbell said.
"But I'll be bringing up all the positive affirmation from two years ago and the same vibe. I can't wait to play in front of my family again."
Woods made a welcome return to form on Monday, winning the Williams World Challenge golf tournament in California.
Campbell is expected in New Zealand this week to spend a few days at Paraparaumu before the Open.
He fly his Florida-based coach Jonathan Yarwood to Wellington to work on his swing.
Campbell said some much needed rest and time with his Titahi Bay-based family was also on the agenda.
Meanwhile, John Daly's agent John Mascatello confirmed that the former British Open champion would not play at Paraparaumu.
Daly would instead open his season at the Hawaii Open.
"We hope to come to New Zealand another time," Mascatello said. "The tournament organisers are good people and we wanted to come, but we couldn't fit it in."
- NZPA
Full coverage: NZ Golf Open 2002
