Golf: Campbell looks to turn disaster in US to success in Europe

Europe looms as a convenient escape route as Michael Campbell strives to stop his career haemorrhaging in the United States.

The walls are closing in on Campbell, whose barren run in his maiden season on the PGA Tour continued at the weekend when he missed the second-round cut at the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Campbell's initial foray as a fulltimer on the tour has been an unmitigated disaster.

He has started seven events in the US this year, missed four cuts, withdrew from the Bay Hill Invitational because of a shoulder injury and was disqualified from The Players Championship following an opening-round 89 after which he memorably said it felt as if aliens had invaded his body.

His sole collect came when he "earned" US$33,000 ($59,783) for making a first-round exit from the WGC-Accenture matchplay championship.

Campbell, who has overcome the shoulder complaint, is to step off the US treadmill following the Bryon Nelson championship this week in Texas to accept an invitation to contest the Volvo PGA championship in England from May 23-26.

He will stay on another week to compete in the Wales Open in Newport before heading back across the Atlantic to prepare for the US Open in Illinois from June 13-16.

The invite came courtesy of the European Tour, where he forged his career from 1995 before heading to the US this year in an attempt to improve his mediocre record in the sport's four majors.

Things have not gone as he had hoped; he has tumbled outside the top 30 on the world rankings, has a best score on tour of 75, a scoring average of 77.44 and is the small matter of 53-over-par for his nine rounds.

The Volvo invitation is timely for Campbell as he considers his options, one of which is to return fulltime to Europe.

His manager Andrew Ramsey said from Sydney that while this remained a possibility, it had not been discussed yet.

Campbell, 34, remains a member of the European Tour after his victory in the European Open last year gave him a five-year tour exemption.

Ramsey said there had been no talk of Campbell returning to Europe on a fulltime basis, although it was something he would not discount if Campbell continued to flounder in the US.

"I'm not saying he won't do that this year, but if worst comes to worst - and you have to be a realist in this game - and he doesn't get his card in America this year, he always has Europe as a back-up.

"We haven't discussed him returning there, but as a manager I have to keep such a plan at the back of my mind."

Ramsey certainly welcomed the approach from European officials.

"I just think it will do him the world of good to step away from a lot of pressures that are building up for him to perform on the American tour."

Ramsey said Campbell remained upbeat and positive despite his failures in the US.

"He's holding up well mentally. He knows his game can turn around at any time.

"I firmly believe he will come out of this a much better golfer. That's why I am not panicking yet, and I'm sure he isn't either.

"I remain convinced he can get his American card this year. I wouldn't write him off. He's had a history of coming through similar slumps. The last time was in 1997 when he missed 17 cuts in a row!

"Michael's record in the past shows he's always been a streaky player. The downfall in his career to date has probably been that he hasn't had the consistency that a top-line player has all the time."

Campbell is due to head back to Europe again in July to defend his European Open crown in Dublin and contest the British Open, after which his playing schedule has yet to be filled in.

"We'll see how he's going and then reassess things," Ramsey said.

- NZPA