Golf: Hawaii is a breeze for Campbell

New Zealand's Michael Campbell took advantage as gusting winds played havoc with the Mercedes Championships second round leaderboard in Kapalua, Hawaii yesterday.

Campbell, as befits a boy from Wellington's windy Titahi Bay, stood firm in the 60km winds to improve from seventh to second in the US PGA season-opening tournament. He shot a second consecutive one-under 72 on a day when the average second-round score climbed to 75.

Australia's Stuart Appleby, chasing a record-equalling third victory in a row at the Kapalua Resort, ended a gruelling day on lighting-fast greens one shot clear of Campbell and three others after also grinding out a 72.

Jim Furyk, winner of the 2001 tournament and another fine player in wind, has a holiday home on the course and had rarely seen the undulating Plantation Course buffeted by such strong winds.

"Without a major storm blowing through, I haven't seen them much stronger," Furyk said. "The wind was tough and it made it difficult to get the iron shots close. It was also very difficult putting.

"A lot of times, the greens are perched up on top of some slopes and you're exposed to the wind."

Furyk ended the day in a four-way tie for second place alongside Campbell, American David Toms and Fiji's Vijay Singh.

Campbell said conditions at the PGA Tour's season-opening event reminded him of the British Open.

"It's pretty close to an Open, apart from the golf courses we play in the Open are firmer and there's less rough around," he said. "It's very similar condition-wise with the hard greens, firm greens and the wind conditions. It's good practice for the Open."

As in the first 18 holes, Campbell finished his round strongly. He bogeyed the fifth and seventh holes but shot birdies on the ninth, 11th, 15th and 17th before another bogey on the last hole.

Appleby, who was two strokes clear of the chasing pack before bogeying the last, said: "It's always been breezy here but this is a lot of wind.

"That extra 10 or 15 miles an hour really makes the course three to five shots harder, at least.

"With the greens being quicker, you've got to be more cautious. You just don't get away with shots as much. It all adds up.

"I was hitting a tee shot on nine and it was blowing that hard it felt like someone had hold of the club on the downswing. It really does slow the club down.

"It's more of a grind out there. You've got to work harder to put your score on the card. There's no real run of birdies."

- REUTERS