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| October 19, 2002 | Saturday | Sha'aban 12, 1423 |
Campbell beats idols Faldo, Woosnam
WENTWORTH (England), Oct 18: New Zealand’s Michael Campbell was delighted to beat two of the European Tour’s “elder statesmen” in the World Match Play Championship Friday to earn himself a semi-final clash with Sergio Garcia.
The 33-year-old Campbell had to return to Wentworth’s West Course in the morning to complete a one-hole victory over Nick Faldo in the event’s longest ever contest.
He then triumphed over title-holder Ian Woosnam 3 & 2 in the afternoon.
“I remember when I shook Faldo’s hand on the 17th green, I shook it twice!” said the New Zealander, after his birdie at the 43rd hole sealed his marathon win over the veteran Englishman.
“I was pretty excited to beat him. He was an idol of mine and I used to watch him on television many, many times winning all those majors.
“When I shook his hand, I was obviously very elated and, for some reason, I went back and shook it again. I was making the most of it, maybe.
“He’s a hero of mine and it’s nice to have his scalp. And that of Woosie as well — the two elder statesmen.”
Campbell, playing in the 12-man event for the first time, fired a six-under-par 66 to lead Woosnam by two after the first 18 holes in their quarter-final match.
But he had to hold off a strong challenge in the afternoon from the 1991 U.S. Masters champion, who led by one after 22 holes on his way to a first nine of five-under-par 30.
Campbell recovered, though, his 11th birdie of the day at the par-three 32nd putting him three clear and the match was over just two holes later.
“It’s been hard mentally and physically but it’s gone pretty well for me and I feel pretty good,” said the New Zealander.
Campbell, who plays several practice rounds during the year with Faldo, believes the six-times major champion is capable of qualifying for the European Ryder Cup team in 2004.
“He still works hard on his game and he knows it’s there,” said the New Zealander. “Physically he’s fit — he’s got the body of a 25-year-old and there’s no reason why he can’t keep on playing.”
Results: (prefix number denotes seeding, Britain unless stated):
(Quarterfinal): 8-Michael Campbell (New Zealand) beat 1-Ian Woosnam 3 & 2; 4-Sergio Garcia (Spain) beat 5-Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 2 & 1; 6-Vijay Singh (Fiji) beat 3-Retief Goosen (South Africa) 4 & 3; 2-Ernie Els (South Africa) beat 7-Colin Montgomerie 6 & 5
LAKE BUENA VISTA (Florida): Continuing his recent run of good form, Jeff Sluman fired a nine-under-par 63 Thursday to join Japan’s Hidemichi Tanaka and Bob Burns in a share of the first-round lead at the Disney Golf Classic.
Sluman managed nine birdies in his bogey-free round on the Palm Course, the easier of the two courses being used here.
The trio lead by one shot over Scott Hoch, Chad Campbell, Australian Peter Lonard, Joe Durant and Chris DiMarco.
World number one Tiger Woods is three shots off the lead at six under.
Leading first round scores (US unless stated):
63 — Bob Burns, Hidemichi Tanaka (Japan), Jeff Sluman.
64 — Scott Hoch, Chad Campbell, Peter Lonard (Australia), Joe Durant, Chris DiMarco.
65 — Stuart Appleby (Australia), Mike Sposa, Tim Clark (South Africa).
66 — Carlos Franco (Paraguay), Scott McCarron, John Rollins, Charles Howell III, Tiger Woods, Jay Don Blake, Esteban Toledo (Mexico), Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain), Brian Gay, Bernhard Langer (Germany), K.J. Choi (South Korea), Paul Claxton.
67 — Luke Donald (England), Hal Sutton, Loren Roberts, Mark Brooks, Joel Edwards, Michael Long (New Zealand), Brad Bryant, Bob May, Russ Cochran, David Peoples, Skip Kendall, Greg Kraft, John Cook, Tom Pernice Jr, Dennis Paulson, Tim Herron.—Reuters
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