By BERNIE MCGUIRE
ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND - New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell has surprised officials by abandoning plans to contest this week's Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.
He has returned to Sydney.
Campbell pulled the plug on the US$5 million ($7.5 million) event last Saturday during a dismal effort in the Amex World
Golf Championship in Ireland.
News of his withdrawal surprised European Tour officials.
Campbell carded four sub-par rounds in the event played on three courses -- the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns -- to finish in 11th place last year.
But he has been enduring a miserable run in recent weeks.
Two weeks ago he finished at the tail of the field with a final round 14-over 86 in the Heritage event in England and carded a final-day 80 in Ireland to finish 34 strokes behind winner Ernie Els.
Campbell has decided to return to Europe from Sydney for the season-ending Volvo Masters in Spain from October 28-31.
Campbell left Britain this week lying 22nd on the money list and ranked 68th in the world rankings. He needs to be in the top 50 by end of the year to gain an automatic entry into next April's US Masters.
Mahal Pearce will make his Dunhill Links Championship debut. Stephen Scahill is the only other New Zealand professional competing in the tournament.
Former All Blacks Sean Fitzpatrick and Zinzan Brooke, who partnered Campbell in 2002, will join a long list of movie and sporting celebrities in the tournament.
- NZPA
