Campbell eyes Aussie revenge

Wairarapa's New Zealand golf representative Ben Campbell hopes it's third time lucky when he heads to the Australian Amateur in early 2012.

The Masterton amateur, who is based in Melbourne, has finished runner-up twice in this event and naturally wants to go one better at the signature event of Australian amateur golf.

Campbell is the most experienced player of the six named by New Zealand Golf who will attend the Australian Amateur and Lake Macquarie events in January next year.

The squad also includes Blair Riordan, Josh Munn, Mathew Perry, Sam An and Vaughan McCall.

Riordan, from the Takaka Golf Club, and Munn from Manawatu, whose 2011 performances have elevated them into these travelling squads, will look to make the most of the opportunity while Perry, An and McCall will look to build on their representative experience from this year.

Meanwhile, the women's squad for Lake Macquarie includes New Zealand reps from 2011, Emily Perry, Julianne Alvarez, Chantelle Cassidy and a newcomer, 16-year-old Jesse Hamilton.

World No1 one Lydia Ko, who is easing back into a full schedule after overcoming an injury, will join the New Zealand squad at the Australian Amateur before a series of ALPG tournaments.

Ko, who last year became the youngest golfer to win the Australian Stroke Play title, will look to make history again by adding the Australian Amateur to her burgeoning record of success.

The Australian tournaments offer an important step in the selection process with the teams for the Eisenhower and Espirito Santo World Championships in Turkey in mind.

"With Golf Australia's new compressed calendar we now have a nicely defined playing schedule that includes a window of events in January and February in Australia that flows nicely into our own national event schedule," said Gregg Thorpe, the talent and coach development manager at New Zealand Golf.

"Being a 'worlds' year the players will be both gaining the necessary international experience that comes from these squad trips but also taking these opportunities to secure a position within the national side."

New Zealand Golf has three key national men's and women's teams to name this year. The Transtasman Cup teams will be named in January for the March test match against Australia. The Queen Sirikit will be played in late April and the worlds squads will be preparing to compete in Turkey late September (women) and early October (men).

New Zealand men's squad (for Lake Macquarie and Australian Amateur):

Ben Campbell (Masterton), Blair Riordan (Takaka), Josh Munn (Manawatu), Mathew Perry (Hamilton), Sam An (Titirangi) and Vaughan McCall (Gore).

New Zealand women's squad (for Lake Macquarie):

Emily Perry (Lochiel), Julianne Alvarez (Manor Park), Chantelle Cassidy (Tokoroa) and Jesse Hamilton (Maungakiekie).

New Zealand women's squad (for Australian Amateur):

Lydia Ko (North Shore), Emily Perry, Julianne Alvarez and Chantelle Cassidy.

New Zealand Golf Men's development squad (that will attend the NSW Medal and Amateur in February 2012):

Brad Kendall (Mt Maunganui), Cameron Jones (North Shore), Fraser Wilkin (Royal Auckland) and Tim Leonard (Timaru).