Ben Campbell gains start in The Open

Ben Campbell gains start in The Open

New Zealand golfer Ben Campbell has secured a start in The Open in Scotland in July.

Caption: Ben Campbell, who has gained a start in the $US11 million The Open in Scotland in July.

He did so by finishing second in Victoria Open in Melbourne last month. 

The New Zealand Open was to have the top three finishers awarded a place in The Open but when that tournament was cancelled because of covid-19 restrictions those rights were transferred to the Victoria Open.

The other two players to gain a start in The Open were the winner Dimitrios Papadatos and third-plkaced Matthew Griffin.

The Victoria Open was played at 13th Beach Golf Links, south-west of Melbourne, and Campbell finished at 20 under par, just one shot behind Papdatos and four ahead of Griffin. His prizemoney for second was $A42,000 ($NZ45,000).

The former world No 6 amateur, formerly from Masterton in the Wairarapa, finished runner-up in the 2017 New Zealand Open.

But his career was interrupted by major injuries in recent years and he had an 18-month hiatus from professional golf after hip surgery, and only returned last April.

This year’s Open, worth $US11 million,  is to be held at St Andrews from July 14-17.