Appleby fends off Singh

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

KAPALUA, Maui — Stuart Appleby stared into the eye of the Mercedes Championships storm yesterday and never blinked.

Stuart Appleby had 28 birdies in winning the Mercedes Championships. Eric Risberg • Associated Press

Before that charge, Appleby was in a world of his own against an elite field of 2003 winners that included major champions and eight of the top 10 in the World Golf Rankings.

Australia's Appleby is No. 14, with a bullet. He was brilliant on Maui, draining 28 birdies — four off the tour record — and one-putting 35 times. His final-round 71, which left him at 22-under-par for a 270, was his worst round of the week by four shots. Singh closed with a 3-under 70 after playing the front nine in 1-over.

"There was definitely a momentum change, but I really felt like it was up to Vijay to catch me," Appleby said. "I just really felt like I wasn't going to let him have anything for free. He would have to earn it. I knew he would fight and struggle. You're talking about a guy you have to show massive respect to. I just tried to play smart. What Vijay did was fantastic, to make those birdies on those holes.

"It was just really a matter of us running out of time."

"As soon as he made his first birdie I thought, 'OK, he's closer.' Then it was a matter of what have I got?" he said. "I've said this a hundred times, but it was just me taking it one shot, one hole, at a time. I didn't watch a lot of what he was doing because I was the controller of my own destiny. If Vijay was going to come and mess around with my destiny, that was his thing. I could only control what I was doing.

"I saw him start to make birdies and thought, 'I'm playing pretty good, hardly made a bogey all week. No reason to start making all that rubbish now. I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, keep hitting it smart, then just try and sneak a couple in.' "

Singh's surge slid to a close on the next-to-last hole. After Appleby missed a long birdie opportunity, Singh stared down a 10-footer that would have put him within one. It would not drop for the man who has been the hottest golfer on the planet, earning nearly $4 million in his past nine starts.

Appleby's streak is nearly as sparkling. He took his two-shot advantage into the final hole and nursed it for the fifth victory of his PGA Tour career, but just his second since 1999. Both have come in his past four starts; he had two seconds his previous two starts.

He hit a huge drive on the final hole, then a safe second shot at the bleachers right of the green. His free drop nuzzled deep into the rough, but Appleby lofted the ball out to within 10 feet of the hole.

Vijay Singh birdied four of the final five holes to finish second by a shot. Eric Risberg • Associated Press

"The putter took a lot away from me this week," he said. "I figured it probably owes me one. It looked good for a long time."

Appleby nudged his birdie putt to the edge of the hole and tapped in for the victory while Singh grinned at him.

"I asked him, 'What do you want me to do; do you want me to putt out?' " Appleby recalled. "He just looked at me and said, 'If you mark it, you're going to have to move it.' I said, 'I'll tap it in.' "

Appleby collected the largest check of his life — $1,060,000 — and started to think about next week's Sony Open in Hawai'i. Singh will also be there, lamenting his late, great charge.

"I just left it too late," he said. "I was playing well all day, all week. I was a little disappointed on the green. I never really got a run going on the front nine. I played it in 2-over and you can't do that."

Not with Appleby making every putt in sight. Ultimately, that was the difference. He averaged a tournament-best 27 1/2 putts a round; Kirk Triplett was second at 28.2 and no one else was below 29.

Tiger Woods, the only American to crack the top five, never got within six shots of Appleby yesterday.

"If I had played a great round of golf and got every break imaginable and got everything going my way I felt I had a chance," Woods said before leaving for what he is calling his offseason. "I birdied (No.) 2, had a good look at 3 and missed it, and I had a three-putt from just off the green on 4. I had my chances to really do some damage early and it just didn't happen."

His tie for fourth still earned him $275,000, and pushed him over $40 million in career money. Appleby is about $29 million back.

"I guess there's only 29 guys I had to beat this week, but they happened to be only the best 29," Appleby said. "I was pretty happy about that. Maybe I caught them by surprise, a bit sleepy out of Christmas."

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

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