Hong Kong: Twelve years after locking horns in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), New Zealander Ben Campbell and Australian Cam Smith once more found themselves in close combat, this time with the Hong Kong Open title on the line.

And as was the case at the Singapore Island Country Club in 2011, it was Campbell who got the better of his rival, draining a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to win the US$2 million Hong Kong Open after a gripping battle with playing partners Smith and Thai Phachara Khongwatmai.

In the third edition of the AAC, Campbell and Smith gave notice of their talent. While Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama triumphed, Campbell placed third on 16-under. Smith was one shot back in fourth.

Campbell, who had not led at any stage of the Hong Kong Open tournament until that brilliant last putt, shot a four-under-par 66 to finish on 19-under and beat Smith by one and Phacahara by two in the penultimate event on the Asian Tour’s 2023 International Series.

Smith returned a 68 and Phachara a 69 while Canadian Richard T. Lee came in with a 64 to tie for third.

Playing together in the final pairing, Campbell, Smith and Phachara were tied after 71 holes with the chance of a sudden-death play-off very high.

However, Campbell won it in normal time after Smith had to lay up with his second shot. He almost holed his third, but had to settle for a four. Phachara, meanwhile, failed to convert his birdie putt from 25-feet and three-putted after missing a three-footer.

For Campbell, who also birdied the 17th, this is his maiden win on the Asian Tour. His only other win in the professional game came in the 2018 New Zealand PGA Championship.

“It’s good to finally get the monkey off the back. I just battled away all day,” said Campbell.

Although their career paths have gone in different directions, Campbell and Smith were team-mates for the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation at the 2012 Ryder Cup-style Bonallack Trophy against the European Golf Association.

Despite their best efforts, Campbell and Smith could not prevent their team, captained by current APGC Chairman Taimur Hassan Amin, falling to a humbling 21½-10½ loss in Portugal when the home side were spearheaded by Jon Rahm.

Meanwhile, in the battle for bragging rights among two members of this year’s triumphant APGC Bonallack Trophy team, it was Korean Jang Yu-bin who outperformed Australian Harrison Crowe at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

The 21-year-old Jang, who turned professional last month after helping Korea strike gold in the team event at the Asian Games, fired a closing 63 to end in solo fifth place on 16-under.

Crowe, the 2022 AAC winner who relinquished his amateur status in September, tied for eighth on 14-under.