Golf: Campbell wins US Open

New Zealand's Michael Campbell reacts to his birdie on the 12th hole during the final round of today's 105th US Open golf tournament. Picture / Reuters

New Zealand's Michael Campbell won his maiden golf major title at the 105th US Open at Pinehurst, North Carolina today.

He beat golfing legend Tiger Woods by two strokes on the difficult course.

Ironically, Campbell had to qualify to book his place at Pinehurst.

The 36-year-old led the first three rounds of the 1995 British Open at St Andrews before falling back into a tie for third.

He became the first New Zealander to win a major title since Bob Charles took the British Open at Lytham 42 years ago.

US Masters champion Tiger Woods, who had started out six behind overnight leader Retief Goosen, finished second, having rallied from a bogey-bogey start with birdies on four, seven, 10, 11 and 15.

Although he also dropped shots on 16 and 17 to slip back to three over, the nine-times major winner had a two-shot buffer over third-placed Spaniard Sergio Garcia and South Africa's Tim Clark.

Garcia and Clark closed with matching 70s to finish at five-over 285 in overcast conditions at Pinehurst's No 2 course.

- NZPA

* Leaderboard after the final round of the US Open golf championship at Pinehurst's No 2 course today:

1st - Even par: MICHAEL CAMPBELL (NEW ZEALAND)
2nd - Two over:  Tiger Woods (USA)
3rd=  Five over: Tim Clark (South Africa); Sergio Garcia (Spain), Mark Hensby (Australia)