Golf: Campbell loses on final hole in seesaw match

Michael Campbell didn't let his standards drop but was yesterday eliminated from the $A9 million ($11.44 million) world matchplay golf championship in the third round by Swede Pierre Fulke.

The fifth-seeded New Zealander shot just one bogey and managed six birdies at The Metropolitan course in Melbourne but still lost one down to the tournament's 21st seed, who managed one more birdie.

Campbell kept himself in the match until the final hole when Fulke nailed a long, slick putt for birdie which Campbell could not match.

He will still earn $A135,000 ($173,144) for his three days' work, which included comfortable opening wins over Swede Mathias Gronberg and Japan's Toshi Izawa.

In a seesaw match yesterday, Campbell saw several crucial putts lip out on the back nine after leading by one hole through the first nine.

A crucial miss was a 30ft birdie attempt on the 16th green which saw the Wellingtonian hold his head in his hands.

Earlier in the match he fell behind on the second but a spate of birdies in the middle of the round saw him lead at the halfway point.

Fulke was the more solid coming home, drawing level on the 11th and moving one up on the 15th.

The Swede bogeyed the 17th and Campbell took it to the last before watching in horror as the Swede's hot run on the greens continued.

Fulke will play 45th seed American Brad Faxon in today's quarter-finals.

Faxon upset fourth-seeded compatriot Tom Lehman one up in one of many close matches yesterday.

Top seed and tournament favourite Ernie Els won a fluctuating match against Frenchman Jean Van de Velde on the 19th hole and will next face big American Craig Stadler.

Western Australian Nick O'Hern continued his giant-killing form by beating his third top-rated American, 18th seed Dudley Hart, 5 and 4.

He will face 55th-seed Steve Stricker, who thrashed American compatriot Justin Leonard 6 and 5

The other quarter-final will be between Japanese pair Shigeki Maruyama and Toru Taniguchi.

- NZPA