Campbell still confident, despite modest start

Michael Campbell

New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell is confident of breaking his Augusta National hoodoo despite carding a 75 on the opening day of the US Masters.

Campbell, the reigning US Open champion, was out in the eighth group of the morning and competing in superb bright and cloudless conditions.

He joined double US Masters champion and five-times British Open winner Tom Watson along with the reigning British Amateur champion, Brian McElhinney of Ireland, teeing off at 9.17am.

After finding the opening fairway with a laser-like drive, Campbell strode off around the lengthened 7445 yard (6808m) Augusta course with a first goal of playing all four rounds for the first occasion in six Augusta appearances.

The 36-year-old got the best start possible with a birdie on the second before becoming the first player in the 70th staging of the Masters to go to two under par when he birdied the eighth hole.

That put Campbell on top of the Augusta leader board for the first time in his career.

But disaster waits at every turn at Augusta National and Campbell soon discovered the perils of the Georgia course at the very next hole, the par-four ninth.

A double bogey after flying the uphill green with his second shot sent Campbell tumbling from the lead and back to a share of eighth place on level par.

He took par on the 10th but dropped a shot at the toughened par-four 11th and also at the par-three 12th before another par on the 13th, the last of three holes that make up Amen Corner.

Campbell then dropped a further shot at the 14th before ending with four pars and a score of 75 that had last year's New Zealand Sportsman of the Year lying tied for 49th in the 90-player field, with a few golfers still out on the course.

Campbell, wearing one of his bright red designer shirts, was in an upbeat mood after his round.

"It was a good start and very exciting for me to have my best Augusta start, ever," he said.

"I was two under par after eight holes and just hit it past the pin on nine but the double bogey rattled me as I then made easy bogeys on 11, 12 and 14 but I held it together there at the end.

"So that round is very encouraging today apart from those three or four holes.

"But what happened at nine just shows you how Augusta can quickly jump up and bite you.

"I hit a five-iron 270 yards on the fly and uphill and into a breeze and it was one of those shots where I just started to get the adrenaline pumping through my body and I hit it too far and over the green, which was the worst place to be.

"But it was just nice to finally get off to a good start here at Augusta but just unfortunate I didn't finish it off.

"It's there and it's close and I will work on my swing this afternoon but I am ready for the next three rounds.

"I was very pleased with my putting today from about six feet in and that's encouraging especially around this course, but the course is getting so hard and the greens faster and firmer.

"So it's scary stuff but I am looking forward to tomorrow."

Campbell's previous Augusta first-round scores were 73 (1996), 78 (2001), 74 (2002), 78 (2003) and 76 (2004).

His lowest ever Augusta round was that 73 in his first competitive round 10 years ago and matched when he last played in the Masters two years ago.

- NZPA