Campbell off to a flyer

US Open champion Michael Campbell’s continued in his rich vein of form in the delayed first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship this morning.

Thursday’s play in Hamburg was completely washed out after heavy rain overnight and throughout the morning left the Gut Kaden course drenched in water.

The intention was still to complete 72 holes however, with the halfway cut made for the top 50 players instead of the usual 70, and 36 holes to be played on Sunday.

Play began on schedule this morning and Campbell was quickly on the leaderboard, the New Zealander rolling in a hat-trick of birdies from the 11th, his second hole.

Another birdie followed on the par five 15th and Campbell, fifth in the Open at St Andrews last week, went to the turn in 32 to claim a share of the lead.

Also on four-under was Korea’s KJ Choi who had the bonus of winning a Rolex watch as the first player to make an eagle on the 17th, holing his third shot with a wedge from 77 yards.

That was not the first eagle of the day however, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson holing his second shot to the 10th, his opening hole, from 112 yards.

Stenson also carded four birdies and two bogeys to join the leaders on four-under after 13 holes.

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington was just a shot off the lead as he made his return to action following the death of his father.

Harrington, who withdrew from the Open last week, picked up shots at the 15th and 17th and then birdied the 18th after a superb approach to a flag cut just three yards from a bunker guarding the right-hand side the green.

Campbell attempted to pull clear of the field with birdies on the third and fourth to move to six-under, but that only gave him a one-shot lead.

Former Ryder Cup player Niclas Fasth picked up a shot on the sixth, as did compatriot Stenson, while Choi birdied the third to share third on five-under.

Harrington had dropped two shots in a row on the second and third but birdied the fourth to lie three-under.