Appleby blows away Kapalua

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Stuart Appleby extracted six birdies from Kapalua Plantation's back nine to take a one-stroke lead over Darren Clarke after the first round of the Mercedes Championships. Associated Press

Australian Stuart Appleby blew through the back at Kapalua Plantation to take the first-round lead in the Mercedes Championships. Appleby's six back-nine birdies gave him a 7-under-par 66 and a one-shot advantage over Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland.

Kirk Triplett, Scott Hoch, Justin Leonard and Vijay Singh are tied for third, another shot back. Leonard, 31, is the only one of the foursome not 40-something.

After soaking up 13 inches of rain in three days a week ago — "I got in Friday night and it looked a really bad day back home," Clarke said — the Plantation course has been returning to its natural state. But yesterday the course once described as home to "golf played off the edge of the world," and designed with blustery tradewinds in mind, was hit by 10- to 20-mph kona winds.

"That was the weird wind today," said Appleby, a former Australian Rules player who is in this winners-only event for the first time since 2000. "It's probably the easier wind."

At least he found it easier. Appleby finished second two weeks in a row last year before breaking through in a playoff at the Las Vegas Invitational for his first victory since 1999. "Hypothetically, if I had a second in Vegas and Scott (McCarron) had have got me across the line, I mean, three seconds would have had me a bit peeved off, to be that close," Appleby said. "To actually squeeze one out at the end of the year after those seconds was great."

His initial drive of 2004 hooked its way into the long grass on the first hole yesterday. Appleby had to take a drop and ultimately sank a 5-foot bogey putt. He played the rest of his round in 8-under despite misreading a series of putts. None of his six birdie putts on the back was longer than 15 feet.

Appleby's interview closed with his poignant admission that last year's success was no coincidence. He married wife, Ashley, just over a year ago and spoke of the "harmony" she had brought to his life after his first wife, Renay, died in an accident in 1998.

Kirk Triplett reacts after almost chipping the ball in for an eagle on the 18th green. Triplett shot a 5-under-par 68 in the first round and was in a four-way tie for third place, two strokes off the lead. Associated Press

Today is totally different. "I have to say I couldn't be happier with where I feel like my life is than where I am now," he said.

Clarke's head also is in a good place, for dramatically different reasons. The former rugby player has lost more than 30 pounds in the past year, inspiring him to give away more than 200 golf shirts and 100 pairs of pants.

"People ask me where the other half of me has gone to," he joked.

In a daily double of rare proportions, he also quit smoking New Year's Day.

"Today, walking up and down the hills, I was fine," Clarke said. "It was my first-ever competitive round without having any nicotine in my body. That was another first. No beer, no nicotine. Don't know what's going on really."

It was also his first as a full-time PGA Tour member, a commitment he made this year so he could play against the best golfers in the world and, ideally, improve enough to win a major. Clarke qualified for Mercedes by winning last year's World Golf Championship, becoming the only player other than Tiger Woods to win multiple World Championship events. He played in a career-high 16 tour events, but did not win on the European Tour for the first time since 1997.

His weight loss might have been the reason.

"Towards the end of last year, when I was trying to get myself into shape, my hand-eye coordination went out a little bit, I just got out of sync. That was a lot to do with not hitting the ball well. Having the two-week layoff, coming back, hitting balls here, I seem to have gotten it back a little quicker than I thought.

"I'm not going to say I'm going to keep doing it for the next three days, but certainly today was very positive from that point of view — hitting the ball as well as I did and giving myself as many chances. That's the whole reason why I'm trying to get in better shape."

Clarke also bogeyed the first hole yesterday, but followed with six birdie putts from within 15 feet and a chip-in from 61 feet on the 10th.

Woods, who won here in 2000, double-bogeyed the fifth hole and spent the rest of his day rallying. He closed by getting an eagle putt to die in the 18th hole to finish at 2-under. Defending champion Ernie Els shot even-par 73 and is in an eight-way tie for 21st. Jonathan Kaye (74) and Bob Tway (76) were the only golfers over par.

SHORT PUTTS: Tommy Armour's team (Mike Slagter, Ted Jones, Mike Sullivan, Bernie Schiappa) won Wednesday's Pro-Am with a 22-under-par 51. Justin Leonard's team was second, at 52 and Billy Andrade's third at 53. ... There were 31 winners last year and 30 showed up this week. The exception is David Toms, who is recuperating from wrist surgery. As a consolation prize for missing Maui, Toms wins $65,000 for finishing last. ... Mercedes signed its first official athlete endorsement agreement in 2001, with Annika Sorenstam. It added Ernie Els last spring. ...ÊEls' winning total of 31-under 261 last year is the tournament record at Kapalua. The highest winning score here was 276 in 2000, when Tiger Woods beat Els in a playoff. ... Every hole on the back nine played under par in last year's final round, when only one golfer shot over par. The field was a combined 554-under for the week.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.