Golf: Campbell makes first cut in nine months

Michael Campbell says the reporter who accused him of breaching etiquette at the US Open has distorted the truth. Photo / Paul Estcourt

VERSAILLES - New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell celebrated ending an agonising nine month weekend wait by joining his wife in taking their two sons to visit the Louvre after making the halfway cut in the French Open.

Campbell recorded rounds of 75 and 68 to make it through to the weekend by one stroke in the 3 million euro ($6.03 million) tournament being played on the Le National Golf club course in Versailles.

It left the former US Open trailing 11 strokes behind Spain's Alejandro Canizares who emerged from a two-hour thunderstorm delay to card a second 66 and lead by one at 10-under par.

German defending champion Martin Kaymer (67) is in second place at nine under par while Dutchman Robert Jan Derksen carded a 71 to end the day in third spot at eight-under par.

Derksen had ended his round near lunch so got to see the Netherlands bundle Brazil out of the World Cup.

Campbell has not played a full four round tournament since ending well down the field in last September's Mercedes Benz Championship in Cologne, Germany.

Since then Campbell's endured a horrid run of 13 missed cuts including in April at Augusta National when he sat out the last two days for a tenth occasion and more recently, not qualifying for the weekend rounds of the US Open, the Major Championship he won in 2005.

However Campbell arrived in Versailles sounding quietly confident following a much-improved driving display during Tuesday's 36-hole British Open qualifier at Kingsbarns near St Andrews.

And while Campbell was four over par over his opening French Open round on Thursday, he recorded nine straight pars over the inward half of the 2018 Ryder Cup candidate course.

Campbell picked up from where he left off on day two to record his first birdies of the event in the continuing hot and humid conditions to race to three-under par for the day after just five holes.

He dropped a shot par four 13th and then played the last four holes birdie, bogey, birdie and par.

And just as Campbell has done for much the past few years, there was hardly any change in his post-round demeanour so much so you still would not have known whether he had shot 68, 78 or 88.

"It's the first time I have hit 14 fairways and 14 greens in regulation for a long time, so I am really pleased," he said.

"The good thing is that while I knocked in five birdies today, I probably had another five birdie opportunities including a few that lipped out.

"I played really well over my closing nine yesterday and the momentum just carried on from that into my round today.

"I got off to a great start with birdies at the first, third and fifth holes and it was frightening that I also burned the hole so many times again today.

"But I was really happy with how I struck the ball at Kingsbarns and yes, I didn't qualify for The Open but I got some momentum going there and came away with a lot more confidence, and it's shown these first two days."

Campbell's opening two scores this year in France is a far cry from last year when he posted scores of 75 and 79.

His second round 68 is the first time Campbell's broken 70 since the opening day of last October's Castellon Masters in Spain.

But while Campbell is assured of a first pay cheque all season, he's not about to get carried away with this long overdue return to form.

"I am feeling better about myself and about my game and I do feel as though I have turned a big corner," he added.

"But I've been playing this sport for too long to start to get carried away with this effort.

"The sight of one swallow doesn't make for summer and one good round doesn't mean that's the end of what's been a very frustrating period for me.

"I'm pleased and now looking forward to the weekend and that's something I haven't been able to say for some time, and to get four competitive rounds under my belt is something I am looking forward to.

"But for now Julie and I are going to take the boys into Paris and visit the Louvre."

Fellow New Zealander Danny Lee added a poor four over par 75 to his opening 67 to slip back to level par and just a stroke inside the cut-off mark.

Mark Brown birdied the last hole near 9.20pm local time to join Campbell and Lee at the weekend with scores of 70 and 73.

- NZPA