Golf: Campbell makes a U-turn

Michael Campbell put some serious backspin on the wedge he lobbed at Gulf Harbour as he endorsed the $1.5 million New Zealand Open at the Whangaparaoa course yesterday.

New Zealand's top golfer was quoted a couple of weeks ago as describing the layout as one of the worst designed he had played.

But in a taped interview played at the launch of the Holden-sponsored Open yesterday, Campbell confirmed he would be a starter on February 10 when the tournament makes its debut on the European tour.

"It's huge for New Zealand, great for the country and great for New Zealand golf," he said.

Campbell described Gulf Harbour as "very picturesque", conceding that it was four or five years since he played there and that several good changes had improved the course.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but more important was his commitment to persuade some of Europe's top players to join him in the event.

"You've got to look after the players and their wives. Make an impact and they'll be back the next year."

Campbell mentioned the well-performed Thomas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington as players he was already working on.

New Zealand Golf has a policy of not paying appearance money and so Ernie Els, for instance, is an unlikely starter.

But the chief executive of the Australasian tour, Andrew Giorgiou, said he would be disappointed if New Zealand did not attract at least one of the victorious European Ryder Cup team.

"The co-sanctioned status of the event will provide significant incentive for players to take part. There are 33 Australasian players on the European tour, compared with 18 in 1996 when we first had co-sanctioned events."

The New Zealand Open follows the Heineken Open in Melbourne and slots in ahead of the Jacob's Creek Open in Adelaide and the ING NZPGA in Christchurch to provide a rich incentive for players to travel Downunder.

One downside of the timing is that it clashes with the Pebble Beach event in the United States and so players with US PGA tour cards are unlikely to enter.

Georgiou believes a move to November is likely because of the number of Australasians who play in the States but also want the chance to compete at home.

The $1.5 million purse is more than double the prize-money at The Grange last January.

New Zealand Golf chief executive Larry Graham admits that he still has to find $500,000 of that, but he is confident of achieving the target by February.

The event will be televised to 27 countries, with a potential audience of more than 200 million homes - a powerful incentive for second-tier sponsors such as Emirates Airlines, which has business in Europe.

The field for Gulf Harbour should have 65 professionals from the Australasian tour and 65 from Australasia, with 18 places available for selected amateurs, sponsors' invitees and qualifiers.

New Zealand Golf intends to run four regional pre-qualifiers to find 30 players to advance to the final qualifying for about 14 places in the final field.

There has been criticism that the number of New Zealanders in the field will be reduced. But Giorgiou says that anyone good enough has the chance to make it.

"It's an enormous opportunity for New Zealand golfers."