Golf: Campbell skips Scottish Open to prepare for British Open

New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell is to skip next week's Scottish Open to concentrate on preparing for the British Open.

Campbell intended to spend the added time at Royal Liverpool in England, with his coach Jonathon Yarwood.

"For about the past five to six years, I have been playing the Scottish Open the week before the British Open, but not this year," Campbell said.

"Unfortunately, Loch Lomond is not the ideal course to hone your game in readiness for a British Open."

Major winner Campbell also took a week off before last year's British Open at St Andrews, where he finished fifth.

"It just common sense to warm up for a British Open by either practising on a British Open host venue or on a similar links-type course," he said.

"We've seen players like Tiger (Woods), Mark O'Meara and other greats of the game - like Tom Watson years ago - prepare for the British Open by travelling to Ireland and play the Irish links.

"(Masters champion) Phil Mickelson has already been over to Hoylake getting used to the course and that's what I will be doing.

Campbell will play in the European Open at the K Club near Dublin this week, an event he won four years ago.

Campbell missed out on victory last week in Versailles when at the final hole he found the water guarding the green to hand victory to England's John Bickerton.

- NZPA