KAPALUA, Hawaii - With just one round to go, New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell knows he will have to be on top of his game to shake Australian Stuart Appleby from the lead of the Mercedes Championship.
Appleby extended his lead to two shots with yesterday's third round three-under-par 70,posting a six-under 213 total.
US Open winner Campbell carded 71 to secure second place at four-under on another windswept day at Maui's Kapalua Plantation course, two shots astray of Appleby.
Ultra-consistent American Jim Furyk is lurking one shot behind Campbell on 217.
Campbell, 36, made a stuttering start, bogeying the third and fifth, before rallying with birdies on seven, eight, 15 and 18. He sunk four par-saving putts from outside three metres to salvage a decent score in trying conditions.
North-easterly winds gusted across the undulating par-73 layout, setting the players all sorts of problems for shot selection and putting on the lightning-fast greens.
Appleby wasn't thrilled with his performance, but when you've won a tournament the past two years, expectations tend to be pretty high.
"I missed too many opportunities for birdies, left two or three shots out there," Appleby said yesterday.
"Overall, I'm happy with where I am, but I know I have to play a better round tomorrow than I did today."
His steady performance certainly impressed Campbell: "Every part of his game is very sound, very sharp," the New Zealander said yesterday.
"His mind is there as well.
"He'll be tough to beat but I believe I've got the tools to beat him. I'm looking forward to tomorrow as a nice little challenge."
Campbell wasn't at all surprised that two players from Down Under were atop the leaderboard: "We're used to these (windy) conditions," he said.
"To hit a four-iron 130 yards is sometimes normal for us. It's all about grinding, grinding, grinding. Every single shot today was manufactured."
Campbell said he planned to treat the final round as a chess match, sending his "prawns" out first and saving his bishops and queen to attack later.
Asked if he meant "pawns", he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, prawns on the barbie, mate," he said.
