Michael Campbell and Geoff Ogilvy will pair up together at Millbrook today.
Campbell won the US Open in 2005 while Ogilvy won the same tournament a year later.
Ogilvy (42), who plays occasionally these days, was the vice-captain for the Internationals at the Presidents Cup in Melbourne last year, and does the school run for his kids in Melbourne.
Campbell (51) is taking a relaxed attitude to this week.
Both men, though, are concerned about how they will do and where the state of the game lies.
You could call it evolution but there are various takes on the way golf has headed.
"Golf’s footprint just does not need to get bigger. It does not make sense to have a course of 400 acres [162ha] when you can have a perfectly good course on 300 acres," Ogilvy said.
"The tees are out of bounds at St Andrews, Augusta [home of the Masters] is buying land all over the place to lengthen holes outside the original property. It just does not make sense. The long hitters should still be the long hitters, they always were ... there are multiple guys who are now hitting the ball 330 yards [302m] and that was not reality 20 years ago."
"We have to tread carefully. If golfers are going to hit the ball 400 yards [365m] then it doesn’t make much sense."
He said the skills needed were different from when he started. It was more about power and speed, and driving was more important.
Campbell, who has not played for four months and has no big expectations for himself this week, said the game had changed and he could no longer compete.
"These guys are hitting big, 60 yards [55m] past me. It made me realise the game has moved on. But I don’t like it. It has lost its creativity, imagination, the ball does not move much," Campbell said.
"All these kids do now is bomb it as far as they can. I’m old school obviously ... just shape the shot more. But not these days.
"Is it evolution? Of course it is. Been in this game since 1993, so that is a long time. When I first turned pro 15 guys were going to win and they were most talented ones. Now rookies are winning every single time. The less talented — due to the golf ball, the driver, the sweet spot is bigger — it gives them more of a chance.
"We have seen a huge transformation in the way the game is played. Those kids, well they’re not kids — 25-26 years old — their short game is not as sharp as it should be as they rely on their distance."
Campbell has dropped back to his playing weight of 90kg, shedding 10kg.
He struggled to get starts on the Champions Tour in the United States last year, managing just one, which disappointed him. He played on the Seniors tour in Europe, though.
First round
Tee times for notables
Millbrook: Daniel Nisbet, 8.36am, hole No1; Zach Murray, 8.36am, 10; Deyen Lawson, 8.47am, 10; Pernilla Lindberg, 12.22pm, 1; Beauden Barrett, 12.22pm, 1; Larry Fitzgerald, 12.44pm, 1; Michael Hendry, 12.55pm, 1; Chan Kim, 12.55pm, 1; Michael Campbell, 1.06pm, 1; Geoff Ogilvy, 1.06pm, 1; Gareth Paddison, 1.28pm, 10; Josh Geary, 1.39pm, 10
The Hills: James Anstiss, 7.30am, 1; Peter O’Malley, 7.41am, 10; Damian McKenzie, 8.03am, 10; Denzel Ieremia, 8.03am, 10; Ryan Fox, 8.14am, 10; Shane Warne, 8.14am, 10; KJ Choi, 8.25am, 10; Brad Kennedy, 8.47am, 10; Daniel Hillier, 8.58am, 1; David Smaill, 12.22pm, 1; Peter Fowler, 1.17pm, 10; Mark Brown, 1.28pm, 10.
