Golf: Passport mix-up puts Campbell off stroke

Michael Campbell's German Masters campaign started off in disarray when he arrived at Heathrow Airport without his passport.

The New Zealander, winner of the event in Cologne three years ago, made the two-hour drive from his Brighton residence to Heathrow, but joined the check-in queue only to discover he had taken his wife Julie's passport in error.

He had left his own sitting in a Brighton photocopy shop.

"I was photocopying some legal documents down the road at a local shop in Brighton, but left my passport sitting on top of the machine.

"I was lucky that the lady who owns the shop got in touch with the New Zealand Embassy in London and sent it back to them.

"We got it all sorted out and I've got my passport, but at the expense of losing a day's practice."

Campbell won the 2000 German event when heavy rain on the morning of the final day forced officials to abandon a resumption to play.

The Wellington golfer was leading by two strokes after 54 holes.

"It's always nice coming back to a course where you won and that's the case this week, although I have arrived a day late," he said.

The No 44 world-ranked golfer was quietly confident of clinching a second European Tour victory in a season to add to July's Irish Open playoff success.

"Finishing second to Ernie [Els] in Switzerland was a big plus, especially after a not-so-good third round," Campbell said.

"It would be nice now to win a second one. I haven't won two or more events in a season since clinching three in Europe three years ago.

"I have four events remaining in Europe to achieve that goal."

Campbell will contest next week's Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, where former All Black Zinzan Brooke will again partner him in the pro-am style event, before travelling to Atlanta for the World Golf Championship starting on October 2.

He will then contest the European season-ending Volvo Masters, starting in Spain on October 30.

- NZPA