Michael Campbell is nine shots off the pace after the first round of the US PGA Championship. Photo / Reuters
A visibly tired Michael Campbell left the golf course at the Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa in a slightly relieved mood today.
Campbell was one of the late starters of the final major of the year which had him commencing play on the back nine in temperatures
of around 38degC.
It was three holes in the middle of his round which sent him tumbling down the scoreboard from the top half dozen to finish on a tie for 71st.
Aside from the 18th, first and second holes in that order, which were double bogey, double bogey and bogey, his round was solid.
His four-over par finish at 74 leaves him in the company of 2007 Masters winner Zach Johnson.
"It was tough conditions today," Campbell said. "I played great for 15 holes and then had two double bogies and a bogey. I managed to play the last seven quite nicely.
"It was tough going, like playing in Asia or Perth. Tough going out there. You have to conserve your energy as much as possible. It was nice to finish off with a saving par."
Regarding the course itself, Campbell was complimentary despite holes the length of the fifth at 653 yards.
"It's not too bad and is quite receptive and quite soft but it's the conditions which make it tough."
Campbell is due to tee off at 8.20am local time tomorrow , a fact he says could be to his advantage, missing the worst of the oppressive heat.
"It will be a huge advantage for us playing in the morning. In theory it's a little cooler," he said.
The leader in the clubhouse after round one is Britain's Graeme Storm, who until recently was supporting himself by working in a cake factory in Hartlepool, England.
Storm will start the day two at five-under with John Daly, who has not practised on the course, next at three-under.
Tiger Woods is at one-over in a tie for 26th.
- NZPA
