Golf: Campbell stays on birdie trail
Runaway leader Michael Campbell had to wait only three holes to collect yet another birdie when the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open resumed in Heidelberg at breakfast time.
With half the field unable to finish their second rounds yesterday because of Thursday's seven-hour rain delay, Campbell did not have the normal luxury of a lie-in after his superb work on the first two days.
He was 14 under par with seven holes of the round still to play and a two at the 178-yard 14th restored the New Zealander's five-stroke advantage moments after Argentina's Eduardo Romero had birdied the long 11th to go to 10 under.
The hot pace was something with which world number one Tiger Woods was struggling to stay in touch.
A bogey at the 390-yard 13th dropped Woods, winner on the same St Leon Rot course two years ago, to four under par - 11 adrift of the man who beat him to the 1999 Johnnie Walker Classic title in Taiwan.
That was the start of a complete reversal in Campbell's fortunes.
Having made his name by finishing third in the 1995 Open at St Andrews - he led by three with a round to go, but was overhauled by John Daly and Costantino Rocco - injuries and loss of form sent him tumbling down the rankings and he even lost his European Tour card for a while.
But the confidence boost which came from defeating the world's greatest player carried on into last season, when he won four times and finished fourth on the Order of Merit, and into this year, Campbell retaining his Heineken Classic title in Perth.
Mansfield's Greg Owen resumed in joint third place with world number three Ernie Els, but both had an early bogey and into their places at eight under went stablemates Andrew Coltart and Paul McGinley - and then Colin Montgomerie as well.
Paired with Woods, Montgomerie matched Campbell's two at the 14th and was six under for the round.
Darren Clarke, the third member of the group, had three birdies in four holes from the 11th, but it was still looking like too little too late.
At three over he probably needed to birdie the last four holes as well to survive the halfway cut.
At least with clear skies the £1.68m tournament, one of the richest on the circuit and one which has attracted five of the world's top 10, should be back on course tonight. The third round was scheduled for this afternoon.
The early start did not seem to agree with defending champion Lee Westwood however.
He bogeyed the 10th and 12th, but by picking up a shot at the 13th got back to seven under.
