Golf: Campbell becomes our own iron Mike

By DAVID LEGGAT

WELLINGTON - It was Michael Campbell's day at Paraparaumu Beach yesterday, but New Zealand golf had plenty to crow about after a thrilling conclusion to the New Zealand Open.

As Australia's seemingly formidable challenge for the title folded yesterday afternoon, Campbell and fellow Kiwi Craig Perks duelled down the back stretch to produce a dream finish for the home crowd.

Campbell prevailed in a nail-biting playoff before an adoring gallery loaded with his extended family, who came from as far north as Auckland down to his home suburb of Titahi Bay, on the outskirts of Wellington.

Earlier Perks set the pace, Campbell caught up, then passed him as the holes ran out, before New Zealand's newest representative on the USPGA Tour birdied the final hole to force extra time, finishing on 15-under 284.

That meant that whatever the result, a New Zealand name was going on the trophy for a fourth successive year, following Michael Long, Greg Turner and Matthew Lane.

At one point Perks, playing impeccable golf in his first tournament in New Zealand for five years, held a four-shot lead. But Campbell, always confident from the time he stepped onto the first tee, birdied the 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th - with a monster putt of more than 40 feet - 17th and 18th, for a 7-under 64.

Perks, tall, solidly built and with an amiable manner, had not done too badly himself, with an eagle at the par-5 12th giving him the seemingly unassailable four-shot lead.

But he stumbled at the 13th, dropping two shots, then needed clutch putts on the 17th for par and the 18th, from three feet, to get a birdie and draw level with Campbell.

The only real Australian contender, overnight leader Paul Gow, battled for most of the day but made a late surge to make it a three-way playoff. He needed to hole a 25-foot putt on the 18th for an eagle but came up an agonising six inches short.

Campbell saved the first playoff hole with a brilliant second shot from light rough, then slid his eagle putt past the cup; Perks was short with his attempt.

On the decisive hole, Perks pushed his approach to the edge of the bunker beside the green. He chipped to five feet, but could only watch as Campbell sunk his 12-footer for the win.

"Today I felt very much in control of what I was doing," said Campbell. "I was very, very confident. The birdie at the first hole helped, then it was like a snowball effect. I knew I was playing well enough to win."

He had not seen Perks since 1985, when the pair played in an inter-provincial tournament. Indeed, New Zealand has not seen much of Perks, as he has spent the bulk of the past decade striving for his USPGA Tour card.

The Palmerston North-born Perks got it at his seventh attempt late last year but while he was rightly proud of his performance yesterday, the emotional tide was running Campbell's way.

Perks acknowledged that point, praising the quality of Campbell's play, and pointing out that it was memorable walking the fairways to standing ovations, something he has not been familiar with in his years in the United States.

It was Campbell's second win on the Australasian circuit this season, following his Johnnie Walker Classic victory in Taiwan and he has a decisive lead in the Tour Order of Merit.

Perks returns to the United States today, his destination the famous Pebble Beach for the AT and T tournament next week, the most important year of his golfing life having begun with his New Zealand reputation significantly enhanced.