Chris Campbell earns Open start with Mizuno win
IN: News | Japan | Mizuno Open (2005) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 26 Jun 2005
29-year-old Canberra golfer, Chris Campbell, today won his first event on the Japan Golf Tour by taking out the Gateway to the Open Mizuno Open in a playoff over New Zealander David Smail and Tadahiro Takayama.
Campbell, whose sister Nikki plays the Japan Ladies Tour and who finished 10th in the Japan Ladies Tour event this week, finished fourth just a month ago at the Sendai Classic but today, when the opportunity presented itself again for his first win in his rookie season in Japan, he took full advantage.
Despite a bogey at the 72nd hole, Campbell won the playoff with a birdie at the second extra hole to earn the first prize of ¥20 million yen or A$240,000.
As a further bonus Campbell will now gain a start at the British Open in just under three weeks time with this event being the final Japan qualifying event for the Open Championship at St Andrews. The top four this week, not otherwise exempt into the British Open, gained starts.
Campbell trailed Takayama by two leading into day four and although Campbell opened with two early birdies, Takayama extended his lead at the turn to be in front by three at that stage. Campbell took the lead with a birdie at the 17th but when he bogeyed the par five last he fell back into a tie with Takayama and Smail.
Smail double bogeyed the 16th but managed to birdie the last to give himself a chance of victory although Campbell was too good in the playoff. Takayama's back nine of three over saw him miss a great chance to win for the second time in his career.
Both Campbell and Smail will secure starts at the British Open via the various qualifying criteria that this event caters for. Also getting a place in the British Open this week are Tadahiro Takayama and Thai golfer Thammanoon Srirot, who by finishing in the first four here, not otherwise qualified, find themselves on the way to St Andrews. Korean S.K. Ho and Hiroyuki Fujita are also heading for Scotland via the cumulative series of events between the Japan PGA and the Mizuno Open this week.
Other Australians in the event were Steve Conran 7th, Craig Jones 9th, Paul Sheehan 27th, Brad Andrews and Scott Laycock 36th and Anthony Gilligan 57th.
The Japan Golf Tour now heads to the Japan Golf Tour Championship in Ibaraki Prefecture.
