KEY POINTS:
COLOGNE - New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell shot a solid one under 71 on the opening day of the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne, Germany.
Campbell carded four birdies and three bogeys on the Gut-Larcenhof course to be in a share of 12th place, five shots behind the leading duo of England's Richard Finch and Jean-Francois Lucquin of France.
Mark Brown, the only other New Zealander in the field, never recovered from a third hole double bogey and had a four -over par 76 in his maiden Tour event in Germany.
However, no cut will apply for the elite 78-player field.
Campbell, competing in his fifth tournament in six weeks, admitted to fatigue.
"It was a good days work and it was nice to get back into red numbers especially after I was two over par through 10 holes," he said.
"I am feeling pretty tired right now and I'm really looking forward to taking next week off.
"I've won on this course before and hopefully I find a little more energy over the next three days and finish off this current run of tournaments with a second German victory."
- NZPA
