For Campbell, Praise May Be Answered

Campbell's trademark is an iron game so precise and repetitive that Ernie Els calls him "almost a golfing machine, so to speak." In the past five years, the Texan has won more than $11 million and stands sixth on this season's money list. In the first two rounds here, before rain and thunderstorms severely truncated play Saturday, Campbell was the buzz of the clubhouse.

"He's just cruised. . . . It never looked like he was in any duress. He never had any pressure," playing partner Stuart Appleby said. "He hit the ball in the right spots. He made his own breaks. He didn't get any lucky breaks. He didn't need them. . . . Two more rounds like that and we are likely all calling him the Masters champion, no matter what anyone else does."

In other words, Campbell, 31, is just the sort of fellow who would seem like prime Masters material -- wealthy, sufficiently seasoned, universally praised as a major talent by his peers, but flying comfortably under the radar with few expectations.

But is he?

Campbell is a textbook example of a player who has, throughout his career, been satisfied with something more comfortable, less tight-fitting than greatness. His talent is unquestioned, but is his quiet, modest temperament suited to this stage, especially to an all-day grind that will begin soon after dawn and end just before dusk? And what about his final bogey-bogey finish Saturday after holding a three-shot lead? Are old patterns repeating? Or will a night's sleep actually stabilize him?

Campbell "hit a couple of iron shots that were just a little off and got killed for them both," said Mediate, his playing partner Saturday. "He's not going anywhere, that guy. He's really, really, really good."

But he hasn't always been really, really good when he wanted to be very, very badly. Four times he missed his Tour card at qualifying school, a sign of being bothered by pressure. His response to this failure was unique, perhaps even telling. Most players who had starred at high-profile UNLV would have tried to beat down the door of the pro world by going to Monday qualifying for Nationwide Tour events. After all, Campbell's ability was no secret. He got the scholarship UNLV was holding until Tiger Woods picked Stanford.

Instead, Campbell took the laid-back easier road, dominating the Hooters Tour humpty-dumpties. One year, he won eight of 16 events and, in his career, cashed the unheard of sum of $776,975 in the minors. Each year, as defending Hooters money leader, he got that comfy $5,000 appearance money each week. What world-class ball striker makes a comfortable living in Hicksville? And doesn't seem to hate it too much?

Once he mastered Q School and got on Tour, only one level of the game has stumped him -- the major championships.

In 17 majors, Campbell has missed the cut nine times. He has cracked the top 15 once. Yet on that occasion, he was a gritty runner-up to Shaun Micheel in the '03 PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

"He played great at Oak Hill," Mickelson said. "He's won some big tournaments -- Bay Hill, the Tour Championship."

Now, Campbell seems to understand that he is at a crossroads where high-powered talent and low-wattage temperament must make peace with each other if the whole person is to move forward to his normal goals.

Campbell's 17th-place finish here last April was progress. Still, he arrived here having missed the cut in four of his last eight majors. On Tour, he hasn't missed a cut all year.

"I haven't done [the majors] as well as I'd like, obviously. That's what I've been working toward," Campbell said this week. "It's special to be leading the tournament. But I haven't achieved anything yet. . . . When I arrived here, my goal was to win the golf tournament.

"That's what I'm looking for."

That's what others are looking for, too.

"Chad's gone up a level this year," Els said. "He's really comfortable with his swing and his game. Seems like he's [on the leader board] every week. He almost plays every week. Seems like he never gets tired of the game. He's definitely going to be very tough to beat."

That is, as long as he doesn't beat himself.