Love The U.s.? That's A Maori

Michael Campbell's time as a novelty is running short. Based on his play in last year's British Open and last week's Honda Classic, Campbell appears destined to be better known for his golf than for his ethnicity.

"It's quite funny," he says. "On the 1st tee when they say, ' Michael Campbell from New Zealand,' everyone expects a European, and then I turn up. They think I must be the wrong guy. It's because I'm so different. People look at me and think, 'What is he?' They're intrigued. At Doral I went to the spa, and people just stared at me. They asked, 'What are you? Are you Mexican?' I said, 'I'm a Maori.' They said, 'What's a Maori?' " A Maori is a member of New Zealand's native population, from a centuries-old Polynesian migration.

In the years mead Americans night be seeing much more of this Maori, who is the great-great-great-grandson of a Scottish governor of Auckland who took three Maori wives. Campbell, who is married to an American, says he may soon play the PGA Tour full time. His third-place finish at the British Open provided an entr�e to many Tour events this year, and after positive experiences at Doral and the Honda, where he finished seventh, Campbell is bullish on life in the U.S.

" America is a land of convenience," he says enthusiastically. "Compared to Europe or Australia, it's black and white. Here you get courtesy cars and a hot lunch. It's incredible. Go to a restaurant, and you can read the menu.

"When you get to your room, you have a choice of 40 channels—and Spectra Vision! I'm a movie buff. I'm not slagging off the European tour, but when you go to Milan, you get 10 Italian TV channels, just CNN and MTV in English."