Campbell takes advantage of McGinley error

A last-hole mistake left Paul McGinley one down to US Open champion Michael Campbell after the morning round of their HSBC World Match Play final at Wentworth.

Battling for golf’s biggest first prize of £1m (€1.46m) – with the runners-up cheque worth £400,000 (€591,000) – McGinley strayed into the bushes with his second shot to the par-five 18th and could only chop the ball forward a few yards.

Campbell was just off the green in two and chipped dead for a three-under-par 69 against the Irishman’s 70.

McGinley, who on his debut has already beaten Thomas Bjorn, Luke Donald and Angel Cabrera, struck first when he made a 15-foot par putt at the first.

Campbell, conqueror of Geoff Ogilvy, Mark Hensby and top seed Retief Goosen, was only five feet away in three, but he missed his putt and then failed with attempts from 15 and eight feet on the next two greens.

The long fourth was shared in birdies, but then McGinley bogeyed the 191-yard fifth. He did follow with a pitch to three feet at the next, but Campbell was only seven feet away and it was shared in birdie threes.

Campbell three-putted from only 20 feet to hand McGinley the lead again on the eighth, but the Dubliner was in all sorts of trouble after driving into the trees at the next.

The New Zealander, 25 feet away in two, did not even have to putt and so drew level once more before getting his nose in front for the first time thanks to a 20-footer on the 10th.

It remained that way until the 383-yard 16th, where Campbell flew the green, landed in a bush and after taking a penalty drop conceded when his chip did not make it up the bank to the green.