Golf: Campbell happy with two-under start

PARIS - New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell started the French Open - his first event this season on European soil - with a tentative two-under-par 70 in Paris yesterday.

Campbell, the winner of two co-sanctioned European tour events earlier this year, finished four strokes behind Italian Alberto Binaghi, who leads the sterling 700,000 ($2.2 million) tournament at six under.

The opening round of the French event took on a United Nations flavour with players from six different countries, including two from Australia, fighting their way to within two strokes of the lead.

Binaghi emerged on top of the pack, recording a six-under 66, and taking full advantage of his last-minute call-up to compete in the event after the 26-year old Milan native was all set to head to a secondary Challenge Tour event in Switzerland.

Spaniard Francisco Cea and Morocco's Fernando Roca finished tied in second place at five under, with players from Sweden, Australia, Denmark and crowd favourite Jean Van de Velde tied in fourth place at four under.

Campbell is grouped for the first two rounds with Van de Velde and Spaniard Seve Ballesteros.

The Kiwi began in superb fashion with a 5ft birdie at the first and then ignited interest in his progress when he holed a 20-footer at the par-four fourth.

His progress was checked with a bogey at the par-four seventh before a third birdie at the par-five ninth. But Campbell dropped a shot at the next and then also at 16 before a superb birdie at the last.

"It was pretty rough around the edges," he said. "I made a few mistakes but I only had 26 putts for two under par, so that's not all that bad. However, my ball-striking was below standard and I'm definitely a bit rusty.

"When I walked on the tee this morning I was hoping for perhaps one less, maybe a 69, which would have been a nice start to the season on the European Tour, but I'm only four shots behind the leader after the first round, so I can't complain."

Fellow New Zealander Greg Turner, contesting his first event since February, began with a two-over 74 that included three bogeys and just one birdie.

"I played all right despite the greens not being much chop," he said. "The good thing is that my swing feels really good and I'm hitting the ball solid, which is good after such a long break."

A third New Zealander, Stephen Scahill, carded a disappointing 79.

- NZPA