INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Local golf officials were yesterday counting the cost of having Tiger Woods competing in the New Zealand Open, in which he finished sixth behind the winner, Australia's Craig Parry, at Paraparaumu on Sunday.

In effect, they took a serious, financial hiding running into hundreds of thousands of Euro.

At an exchange rate of just over two New Zealand dollars to the European currency, they needed a total of 70,000 spectators over the four rounds to break even: they got fewer than 40,000. And fearing that Sunday's final round might be cancelled because of rain, organisers were perusing the fine print of the contract to see if the $4 million New Zealand dollar fee to Woods could be reduced.

It emerged yesterday that about 12 private investors, all from the Wellington area, had each put up between $200,000 and $1 million New Zealand dollars to fund the event. The concern now is that creditors be paid without having to go back to these investors for more cash.

The attacks of September 11th were partially responsible for the financial shortfall, creating a so-called soft corporate market. Only 28 deluxe corporate boxes were sold, instead of the 36 which had been budgeted for.

Further problems, however, were created by having to stage the event in the second week in January, so as to facilitate Woods's schedule, rather than the normal third week which is more popular with Wellington golf enthusiasts. And if that weren't enough, the weather was wet.

All of which should make Irish devotees feel doubly blessed at the prospect of seeing not only Woods, but several other leading players in action at Mount Juliet, when the American Express Championship is staged at the Thomastown venue in September.

Meanwhile, after a nationwide Tiger-watch arising from a letter containing cyanide being sent to the US embassy, Woods kissed his mother Kultida goodbye on the tarmac of Wellington Airport before heading by private jet for a short holiday in Australia. His next assignment is the AT&T Pro-Am, starting on January 31st on the Monterey Peninsula.

From a local standpoint, however, there was a heartwarming postscript to the event. It concerned Michael Campbell, of Maori extraction, who finished in a tie for second place, having originally threatened to boycott the event because of the 10-fold increase in ticket prices which became necessary to pay the Woods guarantee.

In the event, Campbell changed his mind on the boycott when organisers agreed to allow spectators under 16 years in free. And after receiving the Merit of New Zealand Award at Government House yesterday for services to golf, Campbell pledged to give all his future earnings in that country to charity.

The player, who attended the award ceremony with his wife Julie and children Jordan and Thomas, was moved to tears by the occasion. He then spontaneously announced that all his prizemoney earned on New Zealand soil from now on, will be split between Ronald McDonald House in Wellington and New Zealand Junior Golf.

Both charities were already overwhelmed by Campbell's decision to split any prizemoney earned at the New Zealand Open between them. Each will receive about $36,000 New Zealand dollars from his second placing.

"That is unbelievable! Amazing," said Phil Aickin of the New Zealand Golf Association in response to yesterday's gesture. "He is an amazing ambassador for golf and has already been extremely generous and loyal to the New Zealand game for a number of years."

Campbell, who attributed his tears to seeing his father crying across from him in the auditorium, said: "I am so fortunate to be able to play golf and make a good living from the game."

Then, on being asked when he had made the decision about his future earnings, he replied: "I made it just now."

Twelve months ago, Campbell donated his $91,000 New Zealand dollars appearance money from the President's Cup matches to Ronald McDonald House, which is for the families of children in hospital with life threatening conditions.

In Woods's absence from the US scene, Jerry Kelly had a very notable triumph in the Sony Open in Honolulu, when a 14-under-par aggregate of 266 gave him a one-stroke victory over John Cook and a top prize of $720,000. It represented a tour breakthrough for Kelly in his 200th event on the US circuit.

"I'm not going to sleep for a week," he said after carding a level-par final round of 70 at Waialae CC. It was the third time he had led going into the final round of a tournament and one of those was at the Reno-Tahoe Open last year, when he made a triple-bogey on the 70th hole, allowing Cook to win by a stroke.

So, the fact that the same player happened to finish directly behind him on this occasion, made Sunday's win all the sweeter. As a bonus, Kelly has now earned a place among the elite 64 for the Accenture Matchplay event at La Costa next month.