Campbell credits chipping for win

It was only when Ben Campbell stood over the 60cm putt which would win him the national under-23 stroke play golf title at the Hastings Golf Club's Bridge Pa course on Saturday that the Masterton 16-year-old was struck by the importance of the occasion.
Campbell was left to make that relatively simple putt for victory after arch rival, Rotorua favourite Danny Lee, had himself missed what appeared to be a relatively simple one metre putt and he admits to just a twinge of nervousness as he prepared to what make what was to the winning stroke.
"I thought, hell, this is it & I can win it with this one," Campbell said yesterday.
"But really it wasn't too difficult, it was just a matter of doing what I always do and trust it would go in. And fortunately it did."
With Mum Jan Wyeth as his caddy, Campbell played consistently well over the four rounds although he admits that it was only going into the last nine holes of the fourth and final round that he started to think in terms of making the "top two or three".
"My first thoughts were that getting into, say, the top 20 would be about as much as I could expect so I really didn't feel any pressure until those last few holes,' Campbell said.
"It then became pretty much a battle between Danny and myself and that's when I realised what could happen if I kept my cool."
Campbell actually started the final round with a three shot advantage over Lee but the latter had reduced the margin to just one by the fourth hole and by the 15th hole it was all square.
And that's the way it stayed until Lee got the putting "wobbles" on that last hole missing first from 7m and then from 1m and Campbell capitalised.
The Masterton youngster was understandably pleased with his form from tee to green throughout all four days of the tourney but said it was the accuracy of his chipping which was probably the key to his success.
"Whenever I missed the green I generally chipped close enough to comfortably make the putt and that was a big help," he said.
Campbell was "pretty chuffed" mother Jan was caddying for what is to date the biggest win of his golfing career, saying that while he didn't ask for specific advice too often it was comforting to get reassurance when he was deciding on matters like which to club to play.
"Mum is good at taking the doubt out of the mind, whatever I would suggest she would go along with and that meant I was happy with what I was doing," he said.
For her part Jan Wyeth was optimistic going into the final round that her son was playing well enough to make a bold bid for the title.
"He seemed relaxed and confident about his game and I thought he only had to keep that going to be a big chance," she said.
"Pressure didn't seem to worry him, whenever he got into trouble he did what he had to do to get
out of it, nothing seemed to faze him.
Campbell's next big assignment starts tomorrow when he contests the North Island under-19 championships at Hamilton, an event which will see him start favourite after his latest success.
Typically, however, Campbell says that will count for little if he does not play up to his best form and he is taking nothing for granted.
"You only need two or three bad holes and you are no chance & it's that sort of game where being favourite doesn't really mean anything' he said.