Injury sidelines ‘gutted’ Campbell
When the NZ PGA Championship tees off in Christchurch today, it will do so without defending champion Ben Campbell, who this week withdrew because of a back injury.
Campbell, 27, won the title last year in Palmerston North by two shots and has since notched top threes in Bangladesh, Fiji and Australia as he at one point climbed into the world top 300.
But last month he battled to fifth in the ISPS Handa World Super 6 in Perth won by Ryan Fox, then again in the New Zealand Open in Queenstown, where he spent as much time with the physio at he did on the fairways.
On Sunday, he pulled the plug on his title defence, leaving the New Zealand charge at the Pegasus Golf and Sports Club in the hands of Michael Hendry, NZ Open runner-up Josh Geary, 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell, and Steven Alker, with Australians Brad Kennedy and Matthew Millar seemingly the greatest threat.
Hendry, Kennedy and Michael Campbell tee off at 8.15am, as the marquee group. It is a coup for a tournament offering only
$125,000 in prizemoney to attract a player of Michael Campbell’s quality, with no appearance fee said to be involved.
Kennedy, at No 148, holds the lowest world ranking in the field, with Millar at
230, Kiwi Nick Voke 267 and Australian Anthony Quayle No 319.
‘‘I would have loved to have come back and defended my title,’’ Ben Campbell said.
‘‘You are always upset to have to pull out . . . I was pretty gutted. It [the injury] bothered me quite a bit in Perth, and last week it wasn’t too good either.’’
So while a field of 132 get under way today, Campbell will be looking ahead to the Asian Tour.
He will be protecting his money-winning back for the US$3 million
(NZ$4.41m) Maybank Championship in Malaysia late this month, and the
US$1.75m (NZ$2.57m) Hero Indian Open a week later.
As with leading American professionals Justin Thomas and Rickie Fowler, Campbell has some concerns about the new rules that were introduced at the start of the year.
If the purpose was to speed the game up, then they have failed to do that, he said.
‘‘They’ve made the rules tricky to understand, and it makes it easier for people to be snarky on the rules. It needs to be made simpler, I don’t think they’ve quite mastered it.’’
On the green, players can now choose to leave the flag in, or take it out – having it held is not an option. In a group in which one player wants it in, another wants it out, it takes up time.
Campbell also wished the rules said drops (when a player takes relief from an object interfering with their swing, or takes a penalty) should be taken from above the knee, rather than at knee level.
‘‘I don’t think there’s much wrong with them, it’s just the wording needs to be simpler.’’
Top 10 player Fowler was penalised for dropping from the shoulder (as per the old rules) at the WGC Championship in Mexico. He trolled the rule later in the tournament.
Former world No 1 Thomas has also expressed annoyance with some of the rules, seeking a meeting with the USGA to discuss them – particularly the rule banning caddies helping line shots up.
PGA Tour players have been complaining about the new rules put in place by the USGA and R&A all season through social media and to the press.