Golf: Coach's email has Campbell near front of British Masters

1.00pm

COVENTRY - A long-distance lesson helped nudge Michael Campbell into contention on the opening day of the British Masters golf tournament this morning.

Campbell carded a five under par 67 on the Forest of Arden course near Coventry to finish in a five-way share of second place in the European Tour event.

England's David Howell, a past winner of the Australian PGA, heads the field on six-under-par, with Campbell a stroke further back after benefiting from a new high tech lesson.

He emailed his problem putting stroke to longtime coach Jonathon Yarwood from Italy last week and today was singing the praises of the result after walking off the rain-soaked parkland course.

"I've got this new software where I can video my putting stroke and email it to Jonathon and he can respond to me from Florida within hours of sending it," Campbell said.

"It takes about five minutes for the email to be sent but Jonathon can look at the video, see what I might be doing wrong and send back his impressions.

"So it's like having an actual lesson, a live lesson within half-an-hour or so."

Campbell began working with the new software last week in Italy where he also started strongly to be lying in a share of second place after the first day at the Italian Open.

But it was a frustrating rain-interrupted week for all players, with Campbell three-putting on three occasions during Sunday's last round as he fell back to finish in the middle of the field.

"I emailed Jonathon this week after getting back from Italy and he noticed a few things with my putting," Campbell said.

"I hit the ball really great last week in Milan but I putted very, very poorly and if you don't putt well there is no point in playing this game.

"Last week was a prime example where I got it so close so many times but just didn't convert.

"So the good story about today's round was that I again managed to get it close but after the feedback from Jonathon, I managed to convert most of my opportunities."

Campbell also experimented by changing the grip on his putter and agreed that also helped his cause.

"Professional golfers are always looking for those little keys that help and changing the grip was another of those keys," he said.

"I also changed my putting posture somewhat and that helped.

"But my confidence is pretty high at present and I feel very good about my game and I showed that last week by starting strongly.

"It was just that the stop-start nature of last week's event spoilt a lot of players' momentum, but with the assurance of four rounds this week, I can hopefully do well."

New Zealander Gareth Paddison carded an even par 72 in the event's first round while Stephen Scahill hit a one-over 73.

Paddison, an aspiring young professional from Wellington, was invited by the event organisers to contest the event.

Meanwhile, New Zealand golfer Michael Long shares the early lead in the latest tournament on the second-tier Nationwide golf tour in the United States.

Long shot a nine-under par opening round in the Chatttanooga Classic in Tennessee to be tied with Chris Anderson from the United States.

They are two shots clear of their nearest rivals.

Another Kiwi, Steve Alker, was in the middle of the field after carding a two-under round while the event also marked Phil Tataurangi's return to competition in the US.

Tataurangi, coming back from a lengthy recovery from a back injury, fired an even-par 72 and looks set to need a big improvement in the second round to make the cut.

- NZPA, Newstalk ZB and HERALD STAFF