Golf: Cambo keeps the faith

He said he hadn't prepared well (translation: I probably won't win this one) but, even though Michael Campbell's Johnnie Walker tournament ended messily by missing the cut, he doesn't seem far away from finding some form.

From tee to green, Campbell was striking the ball beautifully. It fizzed off his irons, making a whoosh like a guided missile and his driver, which has a clubhead approximately the same size as a small apartment building, also worked very well.

But, like many on the glassy Vines greens, Campbell found the pace of the greens hard to handle.

He triple-bogeyed the sixth after firing it into the rough, got a bit squiffy with officials about unraked bunkers and his body language became increasingly frustrated. He plainly did not enjoy his first missed cut since winning the US Open.

But, for all that, it is possible to look at this missed cut with some positivism. For a start, he was in good company - Retief Goosen and Colin Montgomerie also missed the cut. Secondly, these greens were nastily slippery and television doesn't really show the complex undulations. TV also does not show you the presence Campbell has on the golf course now.

The belief that was pumped into his veins after the US Open win is still coursing round his system. You can see it in his walk - not a swagger, exactly, but an authoritative tread. It says that he might not be winning this one, but he could be.

You can also see it in the way he plays the game. The trademark Campbell grin flashes a lot and he talks to everyone - the boy carrying the board with the players' scores on it, officials. Every now and then he strides off course to enter the public area where he chats with his wife Julie. No trophy blonde, this one. She walks the course, staying with Campbell and resting on a shooting stick. She is also obviously a sounding board.

He knows Paul Casey, with whom he played on Friday, well and there was a lot of conversation, grins and good-natured joshing, at least on the early holes.

There will be those who will point to this result as the inevitable backlash from winning the US Open and at Campbell's busy commercial schedule and his time away from the course lately.

However, it's way too early for all that. The man still oozes belief, he hits the ball like most of us can only dream about and this is pretty much the beginning of his season after his break after the early Hawaiian tournaments. When he said after his round that he wasn't stressing out too much about this, he meant it.

The perspective is still in place. So is the talent and talent is something 23-year-old Bradley Iles oozes.

Iles continued his excellent start to the professional ranks, firing a third round 67 yesterday to set up another healthy payday.

Playing just his fourth professional tournament, Iles had five birdies and an eagle in his five-under-par round, to see him tied for 33rd going into today's final round.

His seven-under 209 was 10 shots behind leader Kevin Stadler of the United States.

The highlight of Iles' round at The Vines Resort was an eagle three on the 473m par-five third, with his only blemishes a pair of bogeys on the second and 17th holes.

 - HERALD ON SUNDAY