Speaking of which. You did get a bit of publicity recently when Golf Digest ran a story calling you the most “underwhelming” US Open champion ever.

My instant reaction was “here we go again.” It wasn’t a new article and I had read it before. I was tempted to retaliate with anger. But I decided to use humour instead, which seemed to go down well with fans. We all enjoyed a laugh at the story’s expense.

Maybe the writer didn’t do enough homework. I went head-to-head with Tiger. And the writer clearly had no idea about what I had achieved away from the PGA Tour. “Underwhelming?” I don’t think so.

I’m interested in taking you back a long way, to New Zealand’s victory in the 1992 World Amateur Team Championship. What are your memories of that?

No one was thinking we had much of a chance. I do remember that. But all four of us – Stephen Scahill, Grant Moorhead, Phil Tataurangi and myself – were playing well. We started maybe nine shots back. But by the turn we were tied. Then we won by six, I think. Phil and I were both right up there in the individual section too.

I do remember that the prize-giving was delayed by maybe an hour. The organisers had the American national anthem to hand, but not New Zealand’s. So they had to run down to the consulate in Vancouver and get a copy. That was funny.

What were your plans at that point? Were you always going to turn pro?

That week confirmed I was good enough to take my game to the next step. I turned pro maybe five months later.

I started in Australia. I had five starts there because I had won the Aussie Amateur. It was a good Tour back then. Anyway, I finished seventh in my first event. I was runner up in my second. And I won my fourth start. Things happened very quickly.

That’s a long way from working for the NZ telephone company.

(laughs) That’s right. I spent five years with them and left when I was 21, fully qualified as a technical officer. I still have the certificate somewhere. I did it for my parents. They wanted me to have a back-up to golf. But my plan was always to make the game my career. If you’re going to be a pro you can’t have a back-up plan. You have to give it everything and believe in yourself. It has to be 100 percent.

RIGHT: Campbell in action on the European Tour in 2020, keeping his game sharp for Senior Tour golf in 2021. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Let’s talk about the 1995 Open at St. Andrews. You led with 18 holes to play. And lost by a shot. Your biggest regret?

No. I thought that week was great. Real failure is learning nothing when you don’t win. But I learned so much from that event. I wasn’t ready for the big stuff. I knew I wasn’t going to win. I wasn’t strong enough mentally. I didn’t have enough tools to stay calm. I knew on the 1st tee I wasn’t going to win. It was so daunting. I was actually surprised I lost by only one. I shot 76 in tough conditions. It was blowing 35 knots.

But it was a huge learning experience for me. Golfers fail a lot more than they succeed. Even Tiger in his prime was at 12 percent. Mine was like two percent. So 98 percent of the time I failed (laughs). But it wasn’t really failing. It was learning.

What conclusions did you come to?

That I needed to work harder.

So it was more mental than physical?

Oh yes. I worked with a psychologist after that. But I got injured and was out for maybe a year and a half. It wasn’t until 1999-2000 that I was back to my best. I had a great year in Australia then, I won four times I think and took the Order of Merit title by a long way.

So no regrets about St. Andrews?

None. That made me the player I became. I won my major when I was ready to win one. So while it would have been nice to win the Open, everything happens for a reason. I believe in fate. I just wasn’t ready. And the golfing Gods decreed I should wait 10 years (laughs).

Are there any regrets about your career? It’s been a real up-and-down business.

Yes. That frustrates me. I regret not joining the PGA Tour after I won the US Open. I would have had a five-year exemption. So I should have gone there full-time. I didn’t because of my family. I didn’t want my kids to have to move from England. They were settled in school there. So I tried to focus on the European Tour and play seven times each year in the States.

That probably led to the “underwhelming” thing. Americans tend to care only about the PGA Tour. I’m not the only guy they look down on because of not playing there much. If it doesn’t happen in America, it doesn’t happen apparently.

I’m not like guys who have made themselves the best player in the world. I’ve always known that. I don’t have that hard edge. But I’ve always felt like I was good enough to win a major. Even before I did. I was good enough in 1995. I knew that. And I didn’t care what anyone else thought.

So I was never going to be the best, just one of the best. Having said that, Jack Nicklaus paid me a huge compliment at the closing ceremony for the 2005 Presidents Cup. He was making his speech and told millions of people, right at that moment, he thought I was the best player in the world. Tiger was sitting there. That’s the most incredible compliment I have ever been paid. I’ll never forget that moment. To have Jack say that was pretty special.