Michael Campbell finished four shots behind tournament winner Robert Karlsson. Photo / AP
COLOGNE, Germany - New Zealand golfer Michael Campbell recorded his best finish in nearly two years after a birdie at the final hole earned him a share of third place in the Mercedes-Benz Championship here today.
Campbell carded a final round of two-under-par 70 for a tournament card
of nine-under 279 to tie with Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, who closed with a 66, and England's Ross Fisher, 70.
They finished four shots behind Sweden's Ryder Cup representative Robert Karlsson.
Campbell recorded five birdies, including a nine-footer at the last to register his best result since an identical placing in the 2006 Champions event in Shanghai, China.
The 2005 US Open champion collected a cheque for 101,516 euro ($221,700), lifting his season's haul to 239,546 euro and enabling him to jump 34 places to 106th on the European Tour order of merit.
"It's been a good week and I'm delighted with the result," said Campbell, who has now recorded three top-10 results in his last four outings.
"I came here feeling a little fatigued after playing so much golf but I began playing well and that lifted my confidence.
"I've been saying for a few weeks now that my game is coming around and this is a great reward for all the hard work I have been putting in."
The result is Campbell's best since November, 2006, and he has now made the halfway cut in his past six events.
That's in stark contrast to his early season form when Campbell missed the halfway cut in 10 of 13 European Tour counting events.
Compatriot Mark Brown, competing in the German tournament for the first time, recorded two birdies but also six bogeys today to shoot 78, leaving him in a share of 67th place on 306.
The result earned Brown 4100 euro and saw him drop one place to 38th on the order of merit with earnings this year of 559,670 euro.
- NZPA
