Golf: Campbell narrowly misses out in match play competition

Michael Campbell plays a fairway at shot the World Match Play Championship at the Wentworth Club. Picture / Reuters

New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell's reign as World Match Play champion ended with two indifferent bunker shots in his second round encounter against Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.

Campbell lost out to his 43-year old Scottish opponent when Montgomerie holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the final green of the Wentworth course outside of London today.

Sitting level at the last, both golfers were in the same bunker but Campbell failed to get out with his first effort, effectively handing Montgomerie the win.

The official one-down loss was Campbell's first defeat in six matches.

"I'm disappointed, but all credit to Colin as he fought back well," Campbell said afterwards.

"It was a closely fought match and I've been delighted with the way I've played this week."

Campbell had seized the initiative when he raced to a 4-up lead after just six holes after Montgomerie conceded the fourth and lost the fifth and sixth holes to bogeys.

But Montgomerie fought back and the duo went to lunch all square.

"Michael got off to a flyer and I wasn't on any cylinders, at all," Montgomerie said. "But I won this game by getting back to level in the last 12 holes of the morning round so that was very important to get back."

Montgomerie emerged from the lunch break by winning the 19th with a par but lost the 22nd when Campbell holed a 12-foot eagle putt.

After trading holes, the pair were level at the 32nd before Campbell seemingly gifted the hole by trying to putt out of a greenside bunker.

Campbell's ball was in the middle of the bunker and he was staring at a slight upslope, a small collar of rough and 10 feet of green to the flagstick.

His attempt failed to clear the rough and Montgomerie won the hole with a par.

Campbell got back to all square with a birdie at the 35th before the pair strangely found themselves beside each in a greenside bunker at the 36th.

Montgomerie watched as Campbell failed to get out in regulation and then holed a 10-foot birdie winning putt.

"I was playing well to be 4-up early in the match but match-play is a totally different animal to stroke-play and a bad break here or a good bounce here can make all the difference as we saw today," Campbell said.

"Colin got a good break at 17 and 18 in the morning whilst he got a bad break going out-of-bounds this afternoon.

Campbell will now have a week's break with his next event being the AMEX Championship starting on September 28th at The Grove course north of London.

- NZPA