By BOB PEARCE
When Michael Campbell holed a seven-foot putt on the last hole to make the cut, the organisers of the New Zealand Open at The Grange heaved a sigh of relief.
But they surely undervalued the efforts of Hamilton professional David Smail, who leads the TelstraSaturn tournament by one shot, and the legendary Bob Charles in fourth place at the age of 64.
On a day when the wind dropped and the crowds grew, the tight, tree-lined South Auckland course gave up 39 sub-par rounds, the best a 64 by Victorian John Wade.
Campbell, in contrast, had a horror day on the greens and needed a couple of late birdies for a 72 to finish on the cut mark of 143.
Smail, the tall 31-year-old who spends most of his time on the Japanese tour, added a 68 to the 66 he had in the first round for a 36-hole total of 134, six under par.
Consistency has been a mark of his play over the years and he has generally played well at the Open.
Last season in Japan he was 50th on the lucrative money list, with his best results a third placing in the TPC tournament and seventh in the Japanese Open.
During his recent break back home in the Waikato, his wife, former professional golfer Sheree Higgens, has given birth to their second child.
One shot behind Smail are Australians Scott Hend, joint leader after the first round, and Peter O'Malley, who won the Open when it was last played at The Grange.
O'Malley, the stocky battler from Bathurst, shot 66 and looks to have a good shot at the title.
Charles continued to delight his fans with a masterly display of the skills needed on a course where the power-hitters have their weapons blunted.
His second 68 contained plenty of those perfectly judged putts which are his trademark, but he also drove very well, finding every fairway and making the par fives in two.
"I'm in a rut," he quipped, "but it's a nice rut to be in.
"I didn't expect to score as well as I've done. I like the golf course as short and as easy as they can make it.
"It levels the playing field when I can reach the par fives in two. Usually, the powers that be like to set it up for the gorillas of the game.
"I'd like to make a plea for the flags in the middle of the greens.
"I don't think I've seen the pins in more difficult positions.
"That may be all right for Greg Norman or Tiger Woods, but not for an old man like me."
Campbell is nine shots off the pace, but still believes he can win with a couple of good rounds at the weekend.
"My putting today was horrendous, the worst in two years," he said. "After the 10th hole when I was five over, I asked my caddy what the cut would be. When he said three over I dug in deep."
After a birdie on the first hole, Campbell's game went downhill as he missed short putts and struggled with his chip shots from the fringe.
At times he was clearly distracted by the big gallery and three times had to pull away from shots when cellphones or cameras distracted him. He made a plea for fans to turn their phones off.
Two players had no trouble with the greens, scoring holes in one.
Christchurch amateur Aaron Mahoney's came on the 15th, but he still missed the cut.
And American pro Mark Wilson had his perfect shot on the eighth, squeezing him into the field for today.
Today and tomorrow there will be a Honda car for a perfect shot at the 15th and $100,000 for a similar effort at the eighth.
The top amateur after 36 holes is Wellington lefthander Gareth Paddison, who is in 11th place on 138 after a 68 yesterday.
Eddie Lee, from Christchurch, also had a 68, for 140.
Tim Wilkinson (Palmerston North) and Queensland-based Andrew Duffin also made the cut.
Golf: Campbell cuts it so very fine
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.