Campbell Feels Honoured To Be Playing King's Course
Bernie McGuire, Agadir, Morocco.
Michael Campbell knows just how tough it is to get onto Augusta National but agreed it would be easier to play a round of golf on next month’s Masters venue than to tee up outside of this week’s host Hassan 11 Trophy course at Agadir.
Campbell is no stranger to the ultra-exclusive Royal Course having contested the 38th edition of the tournament last year.
The course was built for the sole use of one man, the late King of Morocco Hassan II, and now is for the exclusive use of his son, His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
The Royal Course is laid out in and around the grounds of the Royal Palace bounded on one side by the Atlantic Ocean and protected on the other three by 12-foot high fortress like walls.
There’s also a parameter road and a high barbed wire fencing running the length of the walls and with armed military personnel some every 100 meters.
Prior to last Sunday there is believed to have been only some 30 people, and all doctors, who had played the course in the 12 months since England’s David Horsey last year captured the 38th edition of the Hassan 11 Trophy.
SKY Sports is covering the event and they are also under instructions, as they were at Abu Dhabi with the course located next to a UAE Air Force enclosure, to avoid showing the Palace.
There’s also been a good few working on the Tour politely informed not to point their cameras or phones at the Royal Palace.
Campbell joined some 150 players, caddies and officials who were aboard a special Royal Air Maroc flight on Monday that left Malaga direct to Agadir.
“I have would agree it’s probably easier to get a game at Augusta as there is just so much security here,” said Campbell.
“But then it’s great the King of Morocco grants us the opportunity to play his own private course and there is not many people who can say they’ve played the King’s own course.
“There is certainly no golf course in New Zealand that you could say you could never get onto.
“So this is a very special week for the European Tour and competing on one of the most immaculately groomed courses we will play this year.”
Campbell joins fellow Major winners Rich Beem (2002 PGA ChampionshIp) and double Major winning John Daly (1991 PGA Championship & 1995 British Open) for the first two rounds of the Euro 1.5m event
