Ben Campbell

Ben Campbell: From reserve to first-team star

Ben Campbell had extra cause to celebrate New Year’s Eve as his successful 2024 season drew to a close.

A late phone call from two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson saw the New Zealander step into 2025 looking forward to life with Watson’s RangeGoats GC on the LIV Golf League.

“It was a nice phone call to get,” Campbell told The New Zealand Herald. “I talked to Bubba and the RangeGoats a little bit, they needed to fill a spot, and I ended up getting it.”

Campbell was drafted in as a replacement for Thomas Pieters who was traded to 4Aces GC and completes the RangeGoats line-up alongside captain Watson, Peter Uihlein and Matthew Wolff.

The 33-year-old from Queenstown is no stranger to LIV Golf having been called into action as a reserve three times during the 2024 season.

It is a well-deserved promotion after Campbell excelled on the Asian Tour last year, winning the 2024 International Series Morocco in July and finishing runner-up at November’s Link Hong Kong Open.

Success as an amateur

Campbell won the 2010 Carrus Taurunga Open as an 18-year-old amateur, beating a mixed field of amateurs and professionals on the New Zealand PGA-backed Charles Tour.

He fired a final-round 66 to card 19-under for the tournament, five strokes ahead of North Harbour professional Michael Hendry, who was the defending champion.

As a teenager he finished runner-up at the Australian Amateur championship in both 2010 and again in 2011, where at one stage he had led by three strokes.

That year he had risen to sixth place on the world amateur golf ranking and had made plans to turn professional but was plagued by a long-term injury to the big toe on his left foot.

Turning professional in 2012

After a couple of bouts of surgery on the troublesome toe, Campbell turned professional in October 2012, making his pro debut at the Perth International, but he just missed the cut.

He honed his skills playing on the PGA Tour of Australasia, gaining a top four finish at the 2014 WA PGA Championship and a T5 at the 2016 Queensland Open.

After finishing runner-up to Jarryd Felton at the New Zealand PGA Championship at Manawatu, he lost another playoff at the New Zealand Open, coincidentally against Michael Hendry, the same player he had edged out for his first career win back in 2010.

But the signs were that his elusive second win could surely not be far off, and his chances of success increased after he was accepted on the 2018 Asian Tour after a successful qualifying school.

Asian Tour and domestic triumph

In August, Campbell finished T3 at the 2018 Fiji International and the following month he was celebrating a T2 at the Bangladesh Open, two excellent results for his rookie season on the Asian tour.

They were also teeing him up for his performance of the year on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

At the 2018 New Zealand PGA Championship, Campbell hit the top of the leaderboard with four par-busting rounds at the familiar surroundings of Manawatu Golf Club.

The Kiwi carded 64, 66, 67 and 69 for a tournament total 18-under 266 to win by two clear strokes ahead of nearest challengers Ashley Hall and Deyen Lawson.

A runners-up spot at the 2022 Vic Open saw him qualify for The Open Championship at St Andrews.

Becoming an Asian Tour winner

There are not many better ways to win a tournament than by sinking a clutch putt on the 18th green.

That’s exactly what Ben Campbell did to win his first title on the Asian Tour at the 2018 Hong Kong Open in November.

As Campbell approached the 18th green at Fanling, he was in a three-way tie with playing partners Cameron Smith – now captain of 2024 LIV Golf Team Championn Ripper GC – and overnight leader Phachara Khongwatmai.

Facing a 10-foot downhill putt for a birdie, the New Zealander executed his shot to perfection to record a 4-under 66 for the day and 19-under for the tournament.

Smith managed to save par to finish second while Phachara fluffed his lines with a bogey to end T3.

It was an edge of your seat victory, but Campbell managed to create even more last-gasp drama when winning the 2024 International Series Morocco in July last year.

With two holes to play on the Red Course at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, Campbell trailed leader John Catlin by three strokes.

His title charge started on the par-4 17th, where Campbell drained a 35-foot putt for an exceptional eagle while Catlin got down in par.

As the pair stood on the 18th green, a par 5, they both faced 10-foot birdie putts. Campbell was up to the task but Catlin, who had been the overnight leader throughout the tournament, could only make par to send the championship to a playoff.

Campbell flashed his blade again, holing a 20-foot birdie putt back on the 18th green to win the sudden death hole and earn the $360,000 prize money.

Catlin was generous in expressing his admiration for Campbell after. “You have to tip the cap,” he said. “The guy goes 2-4-4 to finish. I mean, he probably made 130 feet of putts to win on the last three holes.

“All you can do is shake his hand and say well done. It is what it is.”

Life as a LIV Reserve Player

As one of three reserve players on standby for LIV Golf last season Ben Campbell did not miss a single event.

What made it a grueling year for travel was Campbell’s determination to keep his own career on track, playing on the Asian Tour’s International Series.

It was a move that paid off handsomely with his win in Morocco.

As for life with LIV, Campbell made his reserve ‘debut’ at LIV Golf Miami in April, playing the final two rounds while standing in for Ripper GC captain Cameron Smith, who had been sidelined with food poisoning.

He was called upon again at LIV Golf Houston in June to fill the very big shoes of Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm in the final round.

He rose to the occasion shooting an impressive 5-under 67, carding a better score than all of his new teammates.

Campbell got to experience an entire LIV weekend in August, playing for Majesticks GC at Greenbrier where he shot 5-under during three rounds for a T37 finish.

It was all invaluable experience for what was about to come in 2025.

Relationship with caddie Mike Howell

You can’t miss Campbell’s larger than life caddie Mike Howell on the course.

Last July the Asian Tour social media team got Campbell to throw some quickfire questions to his bag man, to see how much he really knew about LIV Golf’s latest star.

“Mike’s caddied for me for coming up to eight years now,” said Campbell. “That’s a long time putting up with me!”

Among his answers, Howell was six days over when guessing Campbell’s birthday, August 20th, nailed his shoe size of between 10 and 10½ and that he turned pro in 2012 and his favorite meal is a steak.

He also revealed that Campbell is a dog person rather than a cat person and that the player’s favorite song “is a country and western one.”

Finally, Campbell asked, “What do you love most about me?” To which Howell replied, “I would have to say your work ethic.”