Hometown favourite Michael Campbell said there was only one difference between his unsuccessful last-round challenge yesterday for the NZ Open title and his US Open victory last year.
The mental struggle was very similar but the putts dropped at Pinehurst last year and refused to do so yesterday
at Gulf Harbour.
"I think I had six lip-out putts," he said of his final-round 72 which left him as one of the multiple runners-up.
He was disappointed not to have piggybacked the tremendous on-course support with a triumph to match his 2000 victory at Paraparaumu. But he felt his form in the past week would be a strong springboard for European Order of Merit results.
"I have turned my whole year around, I believe, in the last month or so. Once again I found it hard to maintain those expectations at the start of the year and I suffered through it. But the last month or so I have become more relaxed on the golf course and let the flow of my golf swing perform."
Campbell said he felt good about next year. It was human nature to try many ways to improve, but, after some detours, he felt he was back on track.
He had been encouraged by the way he had performed this week under pressure from the crowd, the media and competitors. Campbell thought his result was a good achievement.
He made a couple of great par saves at the 14th and 15th, where his up and down was "sensational, I must say myself" but victory was not meant to be.
He rued a contrary putter and wondered whether he had wanted the win too badly, whether he tried too hard.
"But it was fun and that is why I play the game," he said.
Relentless, blustery winds wore at his patience and concentration, it made judgment about the borrow and speed for putting extremely difficult. Eventually a birdie miss on the 17th removed Campbell's last hope of joining Nathan Green in a playoff. He knew it and made a bit of a mess of the last.
Campbell favoured a late-year start for the Open as the best fit to lure players to New Zealand. He was busy yesterday with promotional and commercial activities, then a dinner.
