Campbell confident in Wellington bid

Masterton ace Ben Campbell is spearheading the Wellington challenge at this week's Toro national inter-provincial golf championships which got under way at the Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club today.
Campbell, fresh from his fourth placing in the individual section at the Eisenhower trophy world teams event, is playing in the country's major inter-provincial competition for the first time and is aiming to lead Wellington to success in a tourney they have not won over the past decade.
The closest they have come in recent years is losing the final to Bay of Plenty in 2007 while last year they were beaten narrowly in the semis.
"I am looking forward to it a lot. I love match play," he said, the latter sentiment supported by stats which show he has lost no more than three times in match play over the last couple of years.
It has been clashes with the Aaron Baddeley International age group event, he won by 10 strokes at his first attempt, which have stopped Campbell from being at the inter-provincials in 2008 and 2009 and that has only whetted his appetite for good results in 2010.
"I am really keen this time around," he said.
Campbell and his Eisenhower trophy teammate Peter Spearman-Burn are joined in the powerful Wellington line-up by Adam Church, 2008 national stroke play champion James Betts and talented left hander Tom Brocklesby.
He says he and Spearman-Burn should provide solidity at the top of the order and that Betts has the ability to "light it up" on what is his home course. Then there is "Churchie" who he rates as a top performer, especially on links courses. "I'd like to think we have got a good chance,"Campbell said.
Wellington start off in division two along with Canterbury, Hawke's Bay, North Harbour, Southland, Aorangi and Poverty Bay with their toughest test from that lot probably having come this morning against a Hawke's Bay side which includes New Zealand reps Nick Gillespie, Daniel Pearce and Pieter Zwart.
Canterbury made the final for the first time in a decade last year and were unlucky to lose to Bay of Plenty after edging out Auckland 3-2 in the semis.
Bay of Plenty, the defending champions, will, however, start favourites to win again. After waiting 50 years for their first ttitle they have gone on to win six times in the last eight years and again they seem to have a team capable of claiming the major honours. They start off in division one which also includes Auckland, Otago, Tasman, Waikato, Manawatu-Wanganui, Northland and Taranaki.
Auckland are possible finalists too.They reached the semis last year and are led by Eisenhower representative Ryan Fox who will relish the match play format.
Otago could be the "dark horses" as they actually beat Canterbury for the South Island inter-provincial title last month and were just half-a-point from making the semis last year. At the top of their order are Brent McEwen and Sir Bob Charles Scholarship winner Duncan Croudis.
Section play runs from today until Friday with the semifinals and final on Saturday.