Wednesday, November 21, 2007

BAKER-FINCH IS WORRIED THAT MICHAEL
CAMPBELL IS SLIDING DOWN THE SLIPPERY
POLE JUST AS HE DID IN THE 1990s

Former Open champion Ian Baker-Finch fears New Zealander Michael Campbell is sliding towards the same trap that prematurely ended the Australian's golfing career at the highest level.
Baker-Finch sounded the alarm bells after speaking to Campbell this week at a function ahead of the Australian Masters starting in Melbourne.
"When I spoke to Michael at the dinner last night it seemed to me that he was more about redeeming himself, finding his form and wanting to play well again," Baker-Finch said.
"What Michael Campbell should be concentrating on is going out there and playing as well as Michael Campbell can play.
"What I was hearing was a tape recording of my own mindset some 12, 14 or 15 years ago."
Baker-Finch has found a role in the commentary booth after his game deserted him following his victory at the 1991 Open, forcing his premature retirement.
Campbell, the 2005 US Open champion, has seen his world ranking slide from 22nd at the start of this year to 152nd.
He has repeatedly said he wants to add to his collection of major titles, an aspiration Baker-Finch thinks he should put aside for the time being.
Baker-Finch said Campbell should forget about talk of winning another major.
"Michael Campbell should just be doing what he does best and if he should win another major so be it," he said.
"He should stop worrying about results because for some of the guys out here on the tours, being the best you can be is not about winning, and forget about whether or not he's down to 150 or something on the world rankings.
"You just can't push it because that's exactly what I did. I thought to myself 'okay I've won one major so now I have to set my sights on winning a second major'.
"I had been top-20 in the world for a long time and after winning the British Open in '91 what I should have been doing is keep being Ian Baker-Finch.
"What I should have been saying to myself is that if I happen to win again then that is a bonus and if I was to win another major, then I got bloody lucky again.
"Instead I was always trying to be the British Open champion and I got out of my own comfort zone. Then I started to wonder what I was doing wrong, and I soon began wanting to change aspects of my game."

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