Campbell edges clear at halfway point

New Zealand's Michael Campbell needed only a one-under-par 71 to edge into a one-stroke lead in the second round of the European Open on Friday.

Campbell had lain a stroke off joint leaders Jarrod Moseley of Australia and South Africa's Darren Fichardt overnight but as they both struggled at the lengthened 7,337-yard K Club, made tougher by 24 hours of rain, the New Zealander went clear.

On five-under-par 139, Campbell was a stroke better than Britain's Barry Lane and Mark Pilkington, who lost out in a playoff last week for the Irish Open, now in a large group two shots off the pace.

Also in this group on three-under was one of last year's runners-up behind winner Darren Clarke, Irishman Padraig Harrington, whose 69 was the joint-best of the day.

The 1999 British Open champion Paul Lawrie is also only two off the lead.

Fichardt recorded a 74 while Moseley fared even worse, running up two double-bogeys on his way to a 75 which left him trailing Campbell by three.

New front-runner Campbell is anxious to establish himself in the world top 10, he said, and with a $500,000 first prize and top world ranking points on offer, he is in good shape to elevate himself from his current 29th in the world.

Campbell, looking for his fifth European Tour success, talked about his 'rags to riches' career, which got off the ground in 1995 when he led the British Open going into the final round before finishing tied third behind winner John Daly.

"I had my chance at St Andrews," said the 33-year-old New Zealander, looking ahead to this year's major at Muirfield, "and I still think about it.

"But all my demons will be buried when I go to Muirfield because in 1996-97 I didn't even have a card.

"I got a wake-up call from my wife and friends and bounced back.

"The trouble was I was overcome by all the attention I got, especially from leading the British Open.

"I came from a humble background -- there were more cows and sheep in my village than people -- and I'd been leading the Open.

"Then, it was just not my turn. But to win it is still a dream.

"And I have higher, but realistic, goals. I want to break into the top 10 in the world."

Clarke had to dig in to make the cut after slumping to three over par early on.

He battled back to within four shots of the lead before a late double-bogey for a 70 left him five shots behind Campbell.

Swede Jarmo Sandelin, meanwhile, claimed the $30,000 car for a hole-in-one at the eighth after using a six iron at the 164-yard hole.

Australian Brett Rumford aced the 12th in the first round but only earned himself a bottle of champagne and a two-day break at the K Club.

Two players were disqualified during the morning round, former European number one Ronan Rafferty for playing a wrong ball on the seventh and teeing off on the eighth without discovering his error and the 1989 European Open champion Andrew Murray for failing to hand in a score at the 17th.

Colin Montgomerie mixed in six bogeys with three birdies to slide five shots behind, while Greg Norman moved to within a stroke of the lead, before crashing with consecutive double bogeys at the sixth and seventh to finish six shorts adrift.

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