Ben Campbell aims for LIV Golf card after triumph at International Series Morocco

All smiles for Ben Campbell in Morocco. Photo / Paul Lakatos / Asian Tour.

Ben Campbell is making a habit of sinking big putts to win tournaments.

After taking out the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open at the back end of last year with a 15-foot birdie putt to win by one, he has one-upped himself by sinking a 20-foot putt in a sudden-death playoff to win the International Series Morocco.

“It’s always nice when you have the opportunity to get it across the line like that to make it count. I feel like I left the run a little bit late yesterday, but it’s nice to do it when it counts,” the 32-year-old told the Herald.

Leaving it late is a fair assessment from the Kiwi. Campbell was three shots behind playing partner John Catlin with two holes to play at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam before an eagle on the par-four 17 and birdie on 18 to finish gave him a two-under-par 71 and a chance in the playoff.

A chance was all he needed, watching the monster putt roll in to score a birdie on the playoff hole and claim his second Asian Tour win and US$360,000 ($586,071).

The win takes the New Zealander to second on the International Series Rankings, behind Catlin, and to second also on the Asian Tour Order of Merit standings. The latter is crucial for Campbell as the reward for taking out that honour is a full-tour card for LIV Golf.

“That’s definitely the drive for me, is winning that Order of Merit to get the LIV card, so there’s still a lot to play for and I have a lot of golf for the rest of the year,” he said.

Campbell has been a reserve player on the LIV Golf tour this year including an appearance for Ripper GC in the stead of 2022 Open champion Cam Smith at the Miami event. In another appearance in Houston, he made the most of the opportunity by shooting a five-under 67.

In a twist that only sport can provide, it was Smith who finished runner-up in Hong Kong when Campbell claimed his maiden Asian Tour win.

The Queenstown local says his experiences on the LIV tour have given him all the motivation he needs to push for the full card.

“Everyone out at LIV has been so welcoming, you get looked after, you’re part of the team. You get to know everyone... it’s definitely somewhere I’d love to have a card and to be able to play out here. Definitely a big motivator, for sure.”

A taste of life on the LIV Golf is all Campbell needed. Photo / Getty Images

Starting the day in Morocco with a one-shot gap between himself and Catlin, Campbell says knew there were opportunities to score on the back nine and that would be where his opportunity lay.

It’s just as well, as Campbell began his round with back-to-back bogeys, but fortunately, so did Catlin.

“It’s one of those courses where you can make a lot of birdies on that back nine. I obviously didn’t have the dream start so I just said to Mike [my caddy] I’ve just got to stay patient and give myself plenty of chances.”

Approaching the final two holes, Campbell again turned to his caddy Mike.

“I said to him, I think we were on 17, ‘Well, I could finish birdie, eagle and give us a chance’ which we managed to do, which was ideal,” he said.

Campbell believes his ability to stay composed when the stakes were the highest was down to the effort he has put in away from the course.

“You sort of practice for those times when you’ve got to pull off those shots, then to do that under the pump is another thing.”

In saying that, Campbell reflects on his late surge and says while he knew the situation he was in he didn’t have time to think, which allowed him to stay aggressive and aim for as close to the pin as possible.

“To be honest it kind of just all happened, then all of a sudden I think shit, I’m in a playoff... I was thinking about it before it all just happened so quickly you didn’t have much time to think about it which was probably a good thing.”

Another factor in the mix that allowed Campbell to remain calm was that win in Hong Kong, he says experience told him that he didn’t have to make it all happen quickly and could be patient with his final round.

“I think that definitely helped, that win in Hong Kong. It was probably quite similar in Hong Kong [when I] birdied 17, birdied 18 to win. In the past it probably felt like you had to go out attacking from the first hole, which you don’t have to do, so it definitely helped.

“It was nice to have a chance to hole a couple of putts like that and get the job done, it’s always nice.”

Will Toogood is an online sports editor for the NZ Herald. He has previously worked for Newstalk ZB’s digital team and at Waiheke’s Gulf News, covering sport and events.