Golf: Alien feeling as Campbell has horror round

Michael Campbell said he felt like aliens had invaded his body while he chopped his way to a horror 17-over 89 in The Players Championship yesterday.

A shoulder injury and plummeting confidence saw world No 24 Campbell collapse in a heap, but worse was to follow when he was later disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.

He inadvertently signed his card for an 87 in the opening round of the $11.95 million tournament at the TPC Sawgrass course in Florida.

Campbell's shocking round included five double bogeys, eight bogeys, just four pars and a solitary birdie.

He had six consecutive bogeys from the 11th hole before parring the infamous 17th island green and then holing a metre-long putt for birdie at the last.

"It was like an alien had taken over my body and made me do these funny things with my golf swing," Campbell said in trying to explain his atrocious round.

"It was an incredible feeling."

Defending champion and fellow New Zealander Craig Perks was two-under after 13 holes when thunderstorms halted play for the day.

Perks had bogeys at the second and sixth, but birdied the fifth, ninth, 11th and 12th holes. He will resume play today in a share of 10th place, just two strokes from the lead.

Phil Tataurangi, the only other New Zealander in the field, will resume his round after 13 holes at one-over.

He trailed joint clubhouse leaders Skip Kendall, Jay Haas, Bob Tway and Rocco Mediate, who scored 68s, while world No 1 Tiger Woods shot 72.

Campbell's infamous 89 is the highest score in The Players Championship since it moved to the Sawgrass course in 1982.

He had already ballooned out of contention for the second-round cut after just nine holes and the only reason he did not withdraw at that stage was out of consideration for his playing partner, JL Lewis, who would have had to complete the round on his own.

Campbell withdrew when 10-over the card after just three holes of last week's Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, complaining of a twinge in his left shoulder.

"After coming from Australia a couple of weeks ago I was carrying a suitcase and I pulled at it the wrong way and a rotator cuff muscle in my left shoulder went," Campbell said last night.

"I just couldn't get through my swing and it's obviously very disappointing. I was hitting the ball 90m left and I haven't done that since I was 12.

"The catalyst [for the bad round] really was my injury and that's crept into my whole game.

"My confidence has diminished and all the bad shots I hit today were just incredible."

Campbell said he did not consider the shoulder injury a major problem and was confident it would heal quickly.

The psychological scars, however, may take longer to get over.

"I am a bit confused right now, especially after what has happened the past couple of weeks," he said.

"I am not too sure what will be cured first, the physical side or the mental side.

"The easier one will be the physical side. I still believe in my ability and these past couple of weeks have been those kinds of weeks that have been disappointing.

"Unfortunately, the injury has come at the wrong time and hopefully it will be cured by the time I get to Augusta [for next month's Masters, the first major of the year].

"I know that I am still a good enough player to put this behind me and look towards the future."

Campbell will draw on the experience he gained when he battled back from a career-threatening wrist injury which radically impacted on his game in 1996 and 1997.

"I know what it is like to hit rock bottom in this game and I will use that experience to help me through this," he said.

"It's nothing serious - a simple combination of [bad] technique and injury."

- NZPA