Brian Campbell has had a difficult start in the 2026 season. He has made just eight cuts this year, attributing much of the derailment to the swing changes he has had to make due to his injuries. However, with signs of progress, Campbell is on the course as the defending champion at the John Deere Classic, and he was asked how he has been navigating his health progress; he was candid.

“We are very close. So I’ve been working really hard,” he said, speaking at the press conference. “Have had to incorporate some swing changes, and when you’re trying to do that, playing competitively can be difficult. So closer than ever to kind of feeling more normal and being able to swing more freely, so that’s kind of something I’m continuing to chase, because I know my best golf follows with that.”

Campbell incorporated swing changes this season after injuries disrupted his momentum in recent seasons. The Illinois alum had missed the Travelers Championship 2025 before the first round. Just weeks before that, he was also forced out of the Memorial Tournament during the second round due to shoulder pain.

Moreover, Campbell started his 2026 season with two missed cuts. Before the Masters, his only two finishes came at the WM Phoenix Open and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

While he looked to restart his year at the Augusta National, he attributed his struggles to the change in his swing style.

“Had some glimpses of good stuff,” Campbell said. “I’ve been really honestly working a lot on swing stuff and mechanics, getting stronger. When that happens, now I’m bringing in [the ball] long as opposed to being short. So, on almost every green, long is horrible. So you never want to do that,” he said as reported by Joey Lamar.

Perhaps with the changes, he finished the Masters with a T24 and secured 82nd place in the PGA Championship.

Unfortunately, inconsistency soon returned. The Mexico Open champion missed three consecutive cuts at the Charles Schwab, Memorial, and RBC before teeing up at last week’s Travelers Championship.

The 33-year-old’s form saw an improvement last week as he finished T47. He started the week with a strong score on Friday with a seven-under 63. But derailed his chance to be in the top 10 on Saturday as he finished two over 72.

According to Fox Sports, his biggest weakness was Strokes Gained: Off The Tee, where he ranked 68th in the 72-player field.

Now back at the TPC Deere Run as the defending champion, Campbell believes he is closer to swinging freely once again. He is in the competition as one of the favorites and is still looking for his first win of the season, and he might have a chance this weekend.