Golf: Campbell hopes high for British amateur title

Golfer Ben Campbell. Photo / APN

Ben Campbell is confident he can become the first New Zealand golfer to win the British Amateur Championship after qualifying fourth at the event yesterday.

Campbell, 19, carded a two-under 69 to move from a share of 14th to joint fourth after two rounds of strokeplay which whittled the 288-strong field to the 64 and ties that will contest the matchplay at Hillside Golf Club in northwest England.

He will be joined in the final by Rotorua's Landyn Edwards who followed up his 68 in his first round with a four-over 75 to finish in a five-way share of 10th.

Campbell, ranked the world's 27th best amateur, was buoyant after his round at the Hesketh Golf Club.

"My game is feeling really good at the moment, my swing is feeling great and short game is feeling solid," he said.

He will take on Scotland's leading amateur Conor O'Neil in the first round of matchplay, while Edwards will tackle 28-year-old Irishman James Fox, who exited in the second round last year.

The winner of the British Amateur, played over four days near Southport, claims a place in July's British Open at the Royal St George's club in Kent and an invitation to the 2012 Masters.

Campbell said he felt comfortable on the Hillside course despite carding a one-over 73 on the first day of strokeplay.

"Hillside is an amazing course and I can't wait to play matchplay around it. I can't wait to take a few more risks than I did in the strokeplay," he said.


Campbell finished runner-up in the Australian Amateur final in Melbourne in March and was knocked out in the second round of the New Zealand Amateur in Christchurch in April but has come away wiser for the experience.

"I learned a lot from both of those tournaments. The main thing is to just always make the other person make a putt to win the hole or have to hit a good shot. It is important to not give any holes away."

- NZPA