Golf: Campbell misses Australian Open

SYDNEY - New Zealand's premier golfer Michael Campbell is one of three big names who won't contest the Australian Open on Queensland's Gold Coast in November.

World No 15 Campbell, easily the highest-rated player on the Australasian Tour, has opted to contest two tournaments in Asia and will also miss the Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland the week before the Open.

Campbell's manager, Andrew Ramsey, said it was a difficult decision to miss the tour's showpiece event. However, Campbell had opted to contest a co-sanctioned European Tour event, the Asian Open in Taiwan.

It was at the Ta Shee course that Campbell resurrected his career by winning the Johnnie Walker Classic in 1999.

"Michael is playing the World Cup in Japan the preceding week and has very fond memories of Ta Shee," Ramsey said.

"He has supported the Australasian Tour whenever possible but we had to [decide] one way or another."

Campbell only recently agreed to contest the New Zealand Open at Paraparaumu in January after protesting at high entry fees for the public.

His announcement means the Australian Open will be without the three leading money winners from last year's Australasian Tour - in order, Aaron Baddeley, Peter Lonard and Campbell.

Baddeley and Lonard will attend the United States Tour qualifying school.

The loss of leading local players is a major problem for Open organisers, who are waging a losing battle to lure international players from the rich European and US tour events.

- NZPA