Golf: Campbell denied by Stieger

Ben Campbell. Photo / Getty Images

A slice of history has eluded teenaged golfer Ben Campbell.

He was pipped at the post in the final of the Australian amateur championship in Melbourne yesterday after threatening to become only the third New Zealander to win the title.

New South Welshman Matt Stieger survived the 36-hole arm wrestle at Victoria Golf Club 1 up to prevent Campbell joining Michael Campbell, in 1992, and C. E. S. Gillies, in 1899, as the only New Zealanders to win the championship.

Campbell, a 19-year-old originally from Masterton but who has latterly spent most of his time developing his game on sandbelt courses around Melbourne, adopted an aggressive gameplan which led to 11 birdies but also dropped seven shots during a contest he led 3 up after 23 holes.

The tenacious Stieger fought back doggedly, erasing that deficit in the space of three holes before edging in front himself when Campbell, 14th in the world amateur rankings, shelled a stroke at the 28th hole.

Campbell slotted his ninth birdie to draw level at the 30th before the Australian benefited from another error by the New Zealander three holes later, a setback last year's beaten finallist quickly rebounded from when another birdie again saw the rivals level pegging leaving the 34th green.

Stieger, 20, then grabbed a decisive lead with his fifth birdie at the penultimate home before protecting his lead at the last when both players made birdies.

It was the second time in as many years that Campbell, who finished third in the strokeplay event last weekend, came up short in the final of Australia's most prestigious amateur event. Twelve months ago he lost the final 8 and 7 to West Australian Matt Jager in Perth.