Campbell bags a champ

Ace Masterton golfer Ben Campbell will be in exalted company when he contests the BMW New Zealand Open at the Russley course in Christchurch from tomorrow.

Carrying his bag will be Kris Gemmell, the impressive winner of the ITU World Cup triathlon event in Auckland earlier this month.

Gemmell offered to do the caddying duties after he heard via social media website Twitter that Campbell did not have one organised for the Christchurch tournament.

Gemmell tweeted that he was available if wanted and Campbell was quick to take up the offer.

"It'll be great to have someone like Kris on the bag, I'm really looking forward to meeting up with him and having a good chat," Campbell told the Times-Age yesterday. "He knows how to win at the top level so maybe he can give me a few tips."

For Campbell, this will be a first appearance in the New Zealand Open but taking on the professionals is certainly nothing new for him.

A share of 12th place in the NSW Open several weeks ago - he was second best among the amateurs - showed he could foot it with those playing the Australasian circuit and his impressive CV includes a victory in the 2010 Carrus Tauranga Open, a major pro-am event on the nationwide Charles Tour.

Campbell is aiming high at Russley, saying that he was not only looking to be the top amateur but to finish in the top "five or six" overall.

Some solid form at the national inter-provincial amateur teams event last week when he led a Wellington team which finished in fifth place, has him feeling good about his game, particularly his swing which had been the subject of "fine tuning" in the lead-up to that tourney.

"The swing feels about right now, I'm getting the shape I've been looking for," Campbell said.