Golf: Campbell three shots off the lead in Morocco

Michael Campbell. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand's Michael Campbell is enjoying one of his better showings in a European golf tournament in recent times - tied for 18th but only three strokes off the pace in Morocco's Hassan II trophy.

Campbell has had a disastrous few years but, after re-gathering himself yet again, seems to be making headway in his efforts to recapture his form as one of the European Tour's leading players.

Campbell's second round 71, added to his fine first round of 69, has kept him in touch with the leaders - defending champion Rhys Davies and Dutchman Joost Luiten.

He has previously made only one cut in five other tournaments this year and has earned only €2900 so far, but will be in for a payday of hopefully more significance this wekeend.

Both Davies and Luiten defied strong winds to share the lead after the second round in Agadir with the third round due overnight. Briton Davies, the European team's non-playing 13th man at the 2010 Ryder Cup, and Luiten carded rounds of 70 and 69 respectively to hold a one-shot advantage on six-under 137.

Overnight leader Peter Lawrie of Ireland struggled to a five-over 76 to slip back to three-under overall.

Welshman Davies, who has not managed a top-20 finish this season, picked up two birdies and dropped just one shot.

"The wind is blowing hard and the gusts are very strong so it's making it very difficult," he told reporters. "But I hit it very nicely again today and holed some good putts."

Meanwhile, in the final PGA tournament before next weekend's Masters at Augusta, little-known American Chris Kirk kept alive his faint hopes of qualifying for the major by taking a one-shot lead in the second round of the Houston Open.

The 25-year-old, who needs to win to make his debut, birdied his last two holes for a three-under-par 69. That left him at nine-under 135, a stroke in front of compatriots Johnson Wagner (67) and defending champion Anthony Kim, who rocketed up the leaderboard with a best-of-the-day 64 at Redstone Golf Club.

Kim, who missed much of last season due to a thumb injury, was delighted to regain a glimpse of the form that has helped him win three PGA Tour titles.

"I've been playing out of trees and bushes (in recent months), and that's pretty tough. But today I got off to a pretty solid start. It's been a tough stretch, but I'm glad to have this one under my belt. Now I can draw back on this and know that when I do get it going, I can shoot under par."

Harrington, who has not shaved this week after forgetting to bring a razor with him to Texas, was also happy to be in contention for the title going into the weekend.

Among the other big names, British world number two Lee Westwood returned a 72 to lie five shots off the pace, level with Masters defending champion Phil Mickelson who carded a 70 while being watched by former President George H.W. Bush.

At Auckland's Whitford Park, New Zealand representative golfer Ryan Fox took a whopping 10 shot lead into today's final round of the North Island strokeplay tournament in Auckland. The 24-year-old, a member at Whitford Park in his teenage years, shot a six-under 65 to move to a remarkable 16-under par after three rounds and in sight of a first New Zealand title.

While the men's division appears a one-horse race, there's a major battle looming for the women's title between world number two Cecilia Cho and world number three Lydia Ko.

Cho and Ko share the lead on seven-under par, three shots clear of overnight leader Hanee Song (North Shore) who dropped off the pace after a three-over 75.