KEY POINTS:
The New Zealand Open got the credibility enhancer it craved yesterday when Michael Campbell battled his way to a gutsy 73 to keep himself in contention.
Campbell's doggedness has given him a glorious opportunity to secure his second title after winning in 2000 at Paraparaumu.
Play started in
windy conditions again today, suggesting another tough day on the course.
Campbell will start one shot behind leaders Graeme Storm, Marcus Fraser and Kim Felton and level with a talented crew that includes another former winner Peter O'Malley, as well as Spain's Carl Suneson and Peter Senior.
There's some talent in the hunt but Campbell sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb. He's the highest rank by some distance. He's the only man to have consistently won in Europe and no one needs reminding he is the only man in the field to have won a major.
The tournament is his for the taking as long as he can suppress some of the mental demons that haunted him yesterday. His golf was reasonably smart apart from a stone cold putter and a few mad moments such as his tee shot on the last.
"It was bad thought processes," said Campbell. "My bad tee shot from yesterday came into mind before I hit the ball. So it was a bad mental mistake. Terrible. I blocked it and it went 50 yards right. Fortunately I hit the first fairway, hit a three iron from 197 yards, chipped on and made the putt.
"I am one shot behind the leader and I'm not sure what the forecast is for tomorrow but it will probably be the same as today. It always blows in Auckland, doesn't it?"
It was an important recovery as it allowed him to walk off feeling as if he had come out on top of his battle with a course being buffeted by wind. That pleasure was denied co-leader Fraser, as the Australian bogeyed the last to come back to five under.
The Victorian won the New Zealand Amateur open in 2001 and has a professed love of New Zealand. That love was tested not only by his closing hole but by some of the pin placements which he felt were not a true test of golf.
"It was a pretty crappy sort of shot so I probably deserved it," he said of his bogey on the last.
"The wind was about 10km/h to 20km/h stronger and a couple of pin positions were interesting and a couple were just plain stupid.
"The pin on 15 was stupid. To put it on the front of the green in this wind when there was so much room at the back, it didn't leave us with much to hit. Tomorrow could be about who has most patience. I always play well in New Zealand, it has been good to me."
The forecast for today is much the same, which creates the intriguing possibility of a dark horse out earlier in the morning putting a score on the board and coming into contention.
New Zealand's Mahal Pearce at one over is out at 10.49am and one to keep an eye on is Michael Long, who will tee off an hour later.
But the man who could yet feature prominently is England's Nick Dougherty. The protege of Nick Faldo had a highly forgettable day, shooting a 79 to finish at one over.
It was a big fall from grace for the man who went out in the last group yesterday leading the tournament. But while the numbers were ugly, Dougherty reckoned he only hit three bad shots all day.
If he can do that again tomorrow without the wind to punish his mistakes, he could be a contender. He shot 66 on Friday and has the game and mentality to cope with the pressure.
If Campbell has is way, though, the door will never be opened to give anyone else hope.
