Golf: Campbell up with leaders in Doha

Kiwi golfer Michael Campbell has continued his recent resurgence to lie 11th after an opening round 68 at the Qatar Masters in Doha overnight (NZT).

Campbell posted five birdies and a bogey to sit at four-under, three shots behind sole leader Ricardo Santos of Portugal.

The 43-year-old has shot even-card rounds or better in his last nine rounds on the European Tour going back to the end of last year.

The former US Open champion finished in 17th at last week's Abu Dhabi Championship, his opening tournament of the year, to pocked 25,658 ($NZ40,877).

Santos, the European Tour's rookie of the year in 2012, had a total of eight birdies to go with a lone bogey on his second hole. Coming off a fourth-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday, the 30-year-old is looking for his second win on the European Tour.

Six players including Simon Khan of England were another stroke back in a tie for fifth, while another 13 were a further shot behind.

Among those were two of the players in the marquee group of the day - former top-ranked Martin Kaymer and fifth-ranked Justin Rose, who just missed out on a playoff Sunday in Abu Dhabi and finished second. Fourth-ranked Louis Oosthuizen, coming off a victory in the Volvo Champions, finished with a 71 after an errant approach shot and some poor putting led to a double bogey on the 18th.

- nzherald.co.nz/AP