Golf: Campbell produces 10-under stunner

HEIDELBERG - Top New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell produced the round of his life in Heidelberg yesterday.

Campbell turned in a birdie blitz on the saturated course to finish with a stunning 10-under 62 in the first round of the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open.

That put him four strokes ahead of his nearest rivals, defending champion Lee Westwood, of England, South African Ernie Els, Argentine Eduardo Romero and Australian Lucas Parsons.

Campbell also upstaged Tiger Woods, with the American world No 1 going round in a three-under 69.

Last October in Cologne, Campbell was declared the 2000 German Masters champion when heavy early morning rain and subsequent flooding curtailed any play in the fourth and final round.

"Perhaps there is something about Germany and the rain that brings out the best in me," Campbell said. "But we'll just have to wait and see till the final 18 holes."

Heavy overnight and morning showers delayed the start of play by seven hours and just half of the 156-strong field got on to the course.

Unfortunately for Campbell, his 62 will not be recognised as a course record as a lift-clean-and-place rule was in effect because of the conditions.

Campbell's score was his best since a final-round 64 in the defence of his Heineken Classic title in Perth in February.

The world No 18 missed just two fairways and recorded only 28 putts, less than a week after missing the halfway cut in the Benson and Hedges International Open, England.

He started his round from the 10th tee and picked up five birdies to turn in 31. He then birdied his 10th and 11th holes before grabbing further birdies at 13 and 14 and then rolling in a 24-footer for birdie at the par-three seventh, or Campbell's 16th, to jump to 10 under.

"My birdie putts were mostly from four or five feet. I struck the ball very nicely and hit it close a lot of times."

- NZPA