Golf: Campbell makes matchplay semis

New Zealand's Michael Campbell and his caddy Michael Waite line up a putt during the match against Steve Elkington of Australia this morning. Picture / Reuters

US Open golf champion Michael Campbell clinched a semifinal spot in the lucrative world matchplay championship today, beating Australia's Steve Elkington at the Wentworth course near London.

Campbell fought back from being 4 holes down with 10 to play, to knock Elkington out at the first extra hole.

He meets Retief Goosen of South Africa tomorrow for a place in the final.

Campbell admitted thoughts of clinching the number one spot in Europe had distracted him during the match against Elkington and has been instrumental in the mental errors he has been making in recent weeks.

He led the European Order of Merit up until last Sunday when Goosen went ahead with victory in the German Masters and Campbell knows he has a fight on his hands to topple Goosen, twice a holder of the European number one title.

"I have been letting the Order of Merit play on my mind too much this week as was the case last week in Germany," Campbell said.

"I have been running hot and cold over recent weeks because I have been thinking of winning the Order of Merit rather than concentrating on the task at hand, and that is playing golf.

"Your mind wanders too far ahead of yourself sometimes but that is just human nature, and I still get thoughts of trying to win the money list title, instead of focusing fully on my golf."

Campbell said he would need all his concentration and bring his A game along for the match against Goosen.

"He is obviously in good form, but then tomorrow is another day and hopefully I am good enough to play well and do the job."

Former US Open winner Goosen, currently ranked fifth in the world, equalled his own matchplay record-winning margin with a 12 and 11 demolition of Australian Mark Hensby.

After beating Kenny Ferrie eight and seven yesterday, Goosen has reached the semifinals after playing just 54 of a scheduled 72 holes in the £2.44 million($6.33 million) event.

Campbell had won his opening round match 1 up against Australia's Geoff Ogilvy and knew he was in for a fight against Elkington, qualifying for the event after finishing joint runner-up in the recent US PGA Championship.

Campbell went ahead early to be two up after four holes but surrendered the lead to Elkington who raced to five up through 17 holes.

Campbell won the 18th that saw him head to lunch 4 down against Elkington and emerged from the break to take the 21st and 22nd holes.

Elkington captured the 25th with a par and the 26th with a birdie to be well in command at four up with 10 holes remaining.

But the 1995 US PGA championship winner crumbled over the final nine, recording bogeys to lose the 29th, 31st, 32nd which had the duo all-square.

Elkington won the 33rd with a par but then lost the 35th to a bogey before the match ended all square at the 36th.

Campbell then holed a one metre putt for par at the first extra hole to defeat Elkington who had a bogey.

"It was such a long day out there and it's hard to remember all the holes but I knew I had to make a run at him after being four down at lunch.

"Then he started making a few bogeys and that helped my cause," Campbell said.

"I was thinking there at one stage about packing my bags and going home and I had that thought a couple of times today out there.

"I had a lot of opportunities today, but a lot of times I lost my concentration and began making errors, with a lot of three-putts out there.

"So that is one aspect of my game this week that's been quite poor."

SCORES (36-hole matches)

1-Retief Goosen (South Africa) bt 9-Mark Hensby (Australia) 12 and 11
4-Michael Campbell (NZ) bt 12-Steve Elkington (Australia) at first extra hole
11-Paul McGinley (Ireland) bt 3-Luke Donald (Britain) 9 and 8
2-Angel Cabrera (Argentina) bt 10-Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain) 4 and 3

* Semifinals tonight (NZ time):
Goosen v Campbell
McGinley v Cabrera

- NZPA, REUTERS