Ben Campbell 19th at St Andrews Links Trophy

(story courtesy Anthony Powter) 
 
 New Zealand's Ben Campbell has finished 19th at the St Andrews Links Trophy in Scotland with rounds of 70-70-72-73, to close the event at 3-under-par, ten behind eventual winner, England's Matthew Southgate.

Southgate carded a final round of 5-under-par, 67, to go with earlier rounds of 68-70 and 70 to win by five strokes from Walker Cup player, Stiggy Hodgson of Sunningdale, who finished at 8-under-par with rounds of 69-71-67-73, the same mark as Scottish Mens Internationalist, Philip McLean.

Campbell, runner-up in the 2010 Australian Amateur, heads into the British Amateur this week at Muirfield and North Berwick, starting 14-19 June 2010, knowing his game is there, yet just needs to work on hitting the ball better inside the 120 metre mark.

"I drove the ball well this week, just that my short game let me down in the final two rounds," said Campbell after his final round.

"I'll work on that going into the British Amateur and try and get some feel with my game. This has been a great few weeks and I'm ready for this championship."

Last week Campbell recorded a top-10 finish at the Scottish Open Amateur at Glasgow Gailes Links and has headed to Europe with a string of impressive finishes domestically back in Australasia this season.

"To make the cut here at St Andrews was a great result as the field was small and there's a lot of good players that competed. Overall I'm please with my result."

"If I can make the top-64 at the British, anything can happen and that's my goal this next week."

In May, Campbell 18, held off the challenges from more experienced professionals to win the Carrus Tauranga Open and in the process become the first amateur in more than two years to win a New Zealand Charles Tour event.

This is the New Zealander's first main hit-out in the UK and already Campbell is getting some attention. Another solid result in the British Amateur is certainly on the cards and it will be interesting to follow his movements, along with the eight other Australasians competing in the British Amateur.