Golf: Boost for Campbell's American ambition

HILTON HEAD - Michael Campbell's goal of being competitive on the lucrative US Tour was boosted yesterday by his 12th place in the WorldCom Classic golf tournament at Hilton Head, South Carolina.

He completed a four-tournament spell in the United States with a closing round of 71 to finish at seven-under 277 and pocket $US60,000 ($150,000).

He missed the cut in the Bay Hill Invitational, a week before his 15th place in the Players Championship.

The top New Zealand golfer then missed the cut in the US Masters and was heading for a second straight weekend off after his opening round 72 at Hilton Head.

But after a pep talk from his wife, Julie, Campbell knuckled down to carve out a six-under 65 in the second round to guarantee his place over the closing two rounds.

His solid performance in the company of some of the game's leading players, on their turf, has proved a good litmus test for Campbell's eventual move to play fulltime in the States.

"I played great for one round and the other three were very scratchy," he said. "But it was kind of nice to be leaving here knowing that I played rather average and finished in the top 15.

"It's a reflection of how strong my game is and it's like some sort of gauge of where I am on the US Tour.

"This is where I want to ultimately end up playing and my results at Hilton Head and in the Players Championship prove to me that I want to be over here competing in the States, sooner rather than later."

Campbell will take a three-week break from competition until the Benson and Hedges International Open in England on May 10.

He finished his Hilton Head round just before a 65-minute delay when lightning threatened.

The break ensured the $US3.5 million tournament would not be decided yesterday, after poor light forced a suspension of play.

American Billy Mayfair and Argentina's Jose Coceres were left locked in a sudden-death playoff.

Each ended regulation play tied at 11 under and then completed the first two extra holes in regulation before agreeing to return to the course today to fight for the $US630,000 winner's cheque.

Coceres is competing in his third US Tour event and his first playoff in a 15-year pro career, while Mayfair, a winner of five PGA Tour events, gained notoriety when he denied Tiger Woods in a playoff for the 1998 Nissan Open title.

Four players - Fiji's Vijay Singh, Germany's Bernhard Langer and Americans Dennis Paulson and Scott Verplank - tied for third.

- NZPA