Golf: Dubai in Campbell's sights

Michael Campbell's shoulder injury is nearly healed. Photo / Greg Bowker

DUBAI - New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell hopes to contest the Dubai Desert Classic starting on Thursday.

He has been having constant treatment on an injury to his right shoulder after experiencing spasmodic pain during last week's Qatar Masters.

The pain forced the 2005 US Open champion to withdraw after just nine holes of the event in Doha. Rather than return home to his Sydney residence Campbell has journeyed to Dubai with trainer Dale Richardson

Richardson is confident with further treatment that Campbell should be fit enough to take his place in the European Tour field on Thursday.

"Michael's shoulder is so close to being fully fit again and it's just a matter of this last bit of healing," Richardson said yesterday. "He has been feeling a little pain in the area underneath the shoulder and at the bottom on the rotator cuff but he's getting better by the day.

"... given that it will have been another six days or so since he played in Qatar, he could be right to compete in the Dubai Desert Classic. But it's still a day-to-day thing and we'll continue to assess his recovery each day."

Campbell has been troubled by the injury since late last year.

- NZPA