Michael Campbell was out on his own in more ways than one at The K Club as he established a one stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Smurfit European Open where Padraig Harrington stoked up the Irish challenge with one of only four only sub-70 score of the day.
Campbell, the 33 year old New Zealander who came close to winning the Open Golf Championship in 1995, was left high and dry when one playing partner Pierre Fulke pulled out after nine holes with a back problem, then his remaining partner, Phillip Price, also withdrew with a neck injury.
As a result, Campbell played the 11th hole with Price acting as non-playing observer before he departed for the locker room. Referee Trevor Herden then asked one of the group ahead to drop back and form a two-ball with Campbell, and American Fred Funk was only too happy to oblige.
Happily reunited with a companion not nursing an ailment, Campbell went on to shoot a second round of 71 or a five under par total of 139, one ahead of England’s Barry Lane, Mark Pilkington of Wales and two in front of a group of seven others on 141, including leading Irish performer Harrington.
Campbell joked afterwards: “I said thanks to Fred for joining me. I thought no-one liked me on this Tour. It’s the first time that has happened to me. It was quite strange to play a one ball in a tournament and to have a fellow peer in Phillip Price watching me. It was a very unusual day and actually put me off a little.”
Despite his brief stint ‘flying solo’ Campbell spent the rest of the day watching his fellow competitors challenge his position only to come up short. Lane, a much improved performer over the past 12 months, came closest with a round of 71 for 140 although his round was a mixed bag of four birdies and three birdies.
Campbell and Lane played commendably in the worst of the weather on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, and the latter was satisfied with a polished performance over two days of battling the elements.
“I was very satisfied with the way I played today” he said. “Yesterday I played poorly for six holes and didn’t hit a green in regulation. I felt weak and fed myself up on chocolate bars and hit a great three iron at the seventh and never looked back.
“It’s almost exactly a year since things turned around for me. I finished ninth in the Murphy’s Irish Open at Fota Island and followed that with third at Loch Lomond. I’ve been pretty solid since then and it’s good to be back in contention again.”
Late in the day, Pilkington joined Lane on 140 after a fine round of 69 in the lengthening shadows to move into title contention.
Meanwhile Harrington was one player who enjoyed the best of the afternoon sunshine which bathed The K Club with warm rays for the first time this week.
Clearly the subtle changes made to The K Club in the three years since Darren Clarke shot 60 in the same tournament have had the desired effect. It was not until Harrington birdied the 18th hole soon after 5.30 pm that 70 was broken for the first of only three times during the day.
Harrington admitted: “I am surprised that 69 is the best score today but I am delighted to be in the thick of things. I left myself too much to do last week and after shooting 72 yesterday I was thinking it was the same story.”
Harrington was joined on the 141 mark by Jorge Berendt, Jamie Donaldson, Darren Fichardt, Joakim Haeggman, Paul Lawrie and Patrik Sjöland. The latter is seeking his second victory in the Emerald Isle, having won the Murphy’s Irish Open in 2000 while Lawrie has designs on securing another title in adverse conditions.
Lawrie, the 1999 Open Champion, is a bad weather player of some repute. He captured the Open at Carnoustie and last year’s dunhill links championship is testing conditions. He admitted: “I can scramble with the best of them in difficult weather and get the sleeves rolled up. I just get on with the job. People get upset by bad weather but I don’t worry. I just stand up and hit the ball.”
Sjöland, who has captured his two European Tour titles in even years, aims to maintain that sequence after a disappointing time with his driver. He said: “I had a terrible time off the tee since the last round of the Murphy’s Irish Open a year ago. It was there with me for the rest of the season.
“I was hitting it well on the range but not on the course. I had maybe three or four bad shots a day but they cost me double or triple bogeys. I worked and worked and it’s nice to step onto the tee now.”
Sweden's Jarmo Sandelin ejoyed a stroke of luck at the eighth. He holed out for the sixth ace of his career to win aa Renault RX4 Sport Way car, valued at €31,000.