Former US Open winner Michael Campbell is in the hunt for a first win in 20 years after a superb 69 took him two shots clear at the Champions UK plc Senior European Masters.
The New Zealander’s bogey-free round lifted him to -9 ahead of Sunday’s final round on the Legends Tour. Germany’s Thomas Gögele is his closest challenger at -7, while Van Phillips is one further back at -6 after shooting the low round of the day – a 67 – in testing conditions at La Manga.
Swedish duo Mikael Lundberg and Joakim Haeggman are at -5 along with 2024 Order of Merit winner Adilson da Silva and 2014 Ryder Cup star Jamie Donaldson.
“It was pretty tough,” said Campbell, whose last victory was a 2&1 win over Paul McGinley at the 2005 HSBC World Match Play. “It’s blowing hard today and -1 would be a good score, so to shoot -4 is great. I was patient today. I’ve played stress-free the last couple of days and I’m controlling the ball nicely. I’m excited for tomorrow – I haven’t led a golf tournament for a long time, maybe 20 years or so, so it’s nice to be in that position again and see what happens tomorrow.”
Campbell’s round was the model of consistency, with 12 comfortable pars to start with before a superb eagle at the par-five 4th hole – the result of a magnificent 5-wood from 235 yards to 10ft. Birdies at his 16th and 18th holes put the seal on an excellent day’s work.
After round one, Campbell revealed that he’s recuperating from recent heart surgery – which evoked an outpouring of support from fellow players and fans alike. “It’s been amazing,” Campbell said. “The support I’ve had from my family and my close friends over the last couple of years has been incredible.
“Two months ago I was on the operating table, getting my heart figured out, and here I am 10 weeks later leading a golf tournament on the Legends Tour. So it really puts this game in perspective. Today I hit a few bad shots, but I didn’t really care. I’m just pleased to be here.”
While Campbell might have been cruising, Germany’s Gögele was battling his swing but leapt out of the chasing pack with an eagle at the last to counteract a couple of late bogeys and get himself into Sunday’s final group.
“I was shocking on the range this morning and I didn’t go into the round with a lot of confidence, didn’t really hit any good shots early and just felt like I would need to battle all the way to just keep my score together.
Thankfully I did and then making a big putt at the end is just the finish you’re looking for. It’s always great to be in contention. That’s what you play for, that’s where the fun is really, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I guess it’s going to be hard work again, but that’s what I’m here for.”
For the second tournament running, England’s Van Phillips is also in the final group as he looks to add to his one Legends Tour victory, secured in Germany last year. “I played solid today but the putter was the difference. I’ve had a lot of good rounds recently, but I haven’t been able to finish it off as of yet. There’s been a lot of good stuff in there and today the putter got going too.”
Putting has been something Phillips has dedicated himself to in recent months as he looks to capitalise on his strong tee-to-green play – seeking inspiration from one of the world’s best. “I went to Wentworth to watch the BMW PGA as Justin Rose is a good friend of mine,” said Phillips. “I watched him practise his putting for about two hours, and it was a bit of a wake-up call. It made me think that the way I practise is completely amateurish compared to what the best guys are doing in the world.
So I started to try and learn Aimpoint five weeks ago. I’ve really struggled on the greens as I’ve been trying to learn, and today was the first round where I felt like it was starting to come together. I played great today and putted great – it was nice to have a round where it feels like the hard work paid off.”
Tournament host Peter Baker, looking to close the gap on Order of Merit leader Scott Hend, bounced back from a day-one 76 with a superb 69 – one of just seven rounds in the sixties on a difficult day at La Manga.
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