PHOTOS: A look back at Cambo's elite golfing career

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1/33 A 22-year-old Michael Campbell first emerged onto the scene in 1991.
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2/33 The following year, Campbell was chosen for international duty with the Eisenhower Trophy side.
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3/33 The team, featuring Grant Moorhead, Stephen Scahill and Phil Tataurangi, shocked the world by winning the hallowed trophy.
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4/33 From there it was inevitable that Campbell would turn pro. He did so in 1993 and won his first title on the Australasian Tour that year.
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5/33 Another Australasian Tour title, the Alfred Dunhill Masters in 1995, convinced Campbell to aim higher.
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6/33 Campbell captured hearts when he held a two-stroke lead after the third round of the British Open, only to miss the playoff by a shot.
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7/33 The affable NZ Maori golfer made many friends on the golf course, and played with some of the greats., including Colin Montgomerie.
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8/33 Fast forward to 1999 and Michael Campbell's first European Tour title - the Johnnie Walker Classic.
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9/33 A year later, he did what every golfer dreamed of doing - winning his hometown tournament, the New Zealand Open.
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10/33 A great snap here of Michael Campbell and Tiger Woods at the Johnnie Walker Classic in 2000, when Cambo was the defending champion.
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11/33 Cambo's second tournament win was his most emphatic, winning the Heineken Classic by six strokes.
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12/33 Another win in 2000, this time the Linde German Masters, a title he won by a solitary stroke.
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13/33 Campbell then went on to claim the Ericsson Masters on the Australasian Tour in the same year. He finished the year ranked 14th.
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14/33 Michael Campbell then defended his Heineken Classic title, and his rise up the rankings continued. He was now the 15th best golfer in the world.
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15/33 Cambo retained his status in the top 20 with a 1 stroke win in the 2002 European Open - this despite a final round 73!
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16/33 His success on the world stage led to his investiture as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002.
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17/33 The following year, another win - this time the Irish Open, where he overcame Thomas Bjorn and Peter Hedblom in a playoff.
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18/33 In 2004, Cambo had one second placing - the Scottish Open - that saw him plummet down the rankings.
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19/33 Having dropped outside of automatic qualification for the 2005 US Open, Cambo had to come in through the side door, creeping in by a stroke.
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20/33 It was the motivation he needed, fending off a ferocious Tiger Woods to win the 105th edition by two strokes.
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21/33 The win catapulted Campbell into Kiwi folklore, as he arrived home to a glowing reception and a ticker tape parade.
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22/33 Even when he wasn't winning trophies, Cambo was winning awards - including this Shot of the Month gong in 2005 at the German Masters.
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23/33 Cambo might've only won two tournaments in 2005, but they were the biggest. The second was the WGC Matchplay Championships, where he defeated Paul McInley 2&1.
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24/33 What a photo - Woods, Campbell (ranked 15th), Phil Mickelsen and Vijay Singh.
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25/33 Cambo's 2005 was capped off with the Supreme Halberg of the Year in 2005.
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26/33 Cambo went close to securing a second NZ Open, finishing 2nd. He also finished runner-up to Retief Goosen in the Volkswagen Masters.
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27/33 Michael Campbell had a frustrating 2007, with one top 10 finish and 13 missed cuts. He dropped from 25th in the world to 174th by year's end.
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28/33 Third placings in the British Masters and Mercedes-Benz Championships couldn't help lift Cambo up the rankings.
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29/33 And then, 2009. 25 tournaments played, 16 missed cuts. Cambo, now 445th in the world, was struggling badly.
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30/33 Cambo switched his attention to golf clinics and helping the next lot of talent and by the end of 2011 he was ranked 745th.
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31/33 A revival on the cards? Cambo eventually finished third in the Portugal Masters..
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32/33 ..before leading the Hong Kong Open with one round to play. He would finish tied eighth in what would be his last top 10 finish.
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33/33 Campbell has subsequently played 20 events since 2012, 18 of which were in 2013. He limped out of the 2015 Abu Dhabi event before calling retirement to his elite career in May 2015.
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Michael Campbell officially announced his elite golfing retirement having spent the best part of 22 years on the global stage. In that time he won a US Open, was in the top 16 in two different years and was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002.

Here's a look back at his extraordinary career.

Photos: NewsPixNZ/NZ Herald, Getty Images and Photosport