Campbell puts Masters woe behind him

Michael Campbell bounced back from his US Masters disappointment to claim a share of the lead in the Italian Open in Milan today.

Campbell bogeyed the final hole of his second round at Augusta to miss the cut for the fourth year in succession, and he is yet to make the weekend’s play in five visits.

But the New Zealander put a new pre-shot routine into practice at Castello di Tolcinasco and birdied his last three holes to card an opening 65, seven under par.

“It may sound strange but it was an easy 65,” said Campbell, who has set his sights on winning the European Tour Order of Merit this season.

“I missed six chances between 10 and 15-foot which was very frustrating but I stayed very patient and I knew I was playing well enough to shoot a good score.”

Starting from the 10th, Campbell picked up three birdies to reach the turn in 33 and, after a birdie on the first, he was still three off the lead with the hardest stretch of the course to come.

However, he birdied the 473-yard par four seventh, holed from 25 feet for another on the 225-yard eighth, and also birdied the relatively easy par five ninth to join Sweden’s Christopher Hanell on top of the leaderboard.

“I played great in the last round at Augusta but missed by one and took two weeks off and came out firing today,” added Campbell, who came to prominence in his rookie season of 1995 by leading the Open at St Andrews after three rounds and just missing out on the play-off between John Daly and Costantino Rocca.

“I’m being more fastidious on my pre-shot routine, so much so that it’s almost down to the second on every shot. I used to be too technical in thinking about the golf swing but I’m trying to put that behind me and concentrate on scoring.”

Hanell, who won the Madeira Island Open last month, would have led on his own but bogeyed the ninth – his final hole – and had to settle for a 65.

He and Campbell were two shots ahead of South African Martin Maritz, fifth in this event 12 months ago, Sweden’s Joakim Haeggman and France’s Thomas Levet, who all carded rounds of 67.

Pre-tournament favourite Ian Poulter, seeking his third Italian Open in five years, was among the later starters and was level par after two holes.