Golf: Campbell gives China a miss to work on putting

1.00pm

New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell has turned down a lucrative Chinese trip to remain in Britain and concentrate on his next event in Germany.

Campbell is among many leading European Tour players who have elected not to travel to Shanghai for the co-sanctioned Asian Open starting on Thursday.

China are hosting their first European tour event after tournament sponsors moved the event from Taiwan, where it had been staged for two years from 2002, and won last year by Ireland's Padraig Harrington.

Harrington is believed to have been paid a US$500,000 ($820,883) appearance fee to appear in Shanghai.

After some extensive travelling in recent weeks, the last thing Campbell needs is a lengthy one-off return trip to the Far East.

"I have undertaken a lot of travel in the past few months travelling from New Zealand and Australia to America, Dubai, Singapore, Italy and to England," he said today.

It was Campbell's extensive around-the-world golfing schedule that led to him undergoing surgery late last year to remove troubling varicose veins.

"Flying long distances was aggravating the problem with my legs and whilst I have had no concern whatsoever since the operation, I just didn't want to fly off to China for a week.

"Instead I get a week at home with the family and it will also give me the chance to work on my putting.

"Since getting back to Europe for the Italian Open last fortnight, I have started well but it's been my putting that's let me down."

Campbell revealed last week at the Forest of Arden course, where he finished 16th in the British Masters, that he has begun e-mailing his putting stroke to Florida-based coach Jonathon Yarwood, and he will head out to the East Sussex course, close to his Brighton home in England, where he can work on putting.

"I've arranged for my caddy, Michael Waite, to meet me at East Sussex, so he can video my putting stroke and I'll shoot it off to Jonathon," said Campbell.

"It can only be something minor that is not right in my putting set-up and I know that once Jonathon looks it over, he'll get me back on the right track."

Campbell's next event is the tour players championship of Europe in Heidelberg, Germany, beginning on May 20.

The city is one of the prettiest in Europe but Campbell will enjoy the visit a whole lot more if he can go one better than his second place finish in 2001 behind Tiger Woods.

- NZPA