FP – Stuart Appleby has responded to his desperate US PGA Tour career circumstances with a strong start in the Wyndham Championship.
Needing a good result this week if he’s to retain a tour card for next season, Appleby fired a four-under par 66 on Thursday to be tied for 11th place at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.
With no such problems, Matt Jones was the leading Australian on 65, in a seven-way tie for third, one shot behind joint leaders Chris Stroud (US) and Englishman Ross Fisher.
In 18 seasons on the US PGA Tour, 42-year-old Appleby has amassed nine titles and more than $17 million in prizemoney from 458 tournaments but his current world ranking of 287th indicates the form slide that’s left him battling in this week’s last-chance saloon.
Appleby, who last won in 2010, sits 123rd on the season-long points race and 137th on the money list.
To get into the tour’s four play-off tournaments that begin next week and wind up the season he needs to be in the top 125 in the points race after Sunday’s final round.
That probably means he must at least make the cut – and he’s now well on the way to that objective.
If he doesn’t get into the play-offs, his season is over and his current money list position – between 125th and 150th – would only be enough to afford him limited tour membership when the new season starts in October.
Fellow Australians Geoff Ogilvy, Alistair Presnell and Scott Gardiner also started brightly with 67s.
While Jones and Ogilvy have easily wrapped up playoffs berths, Presnell (194th points race, 194th money list) and tour rookie Gardiner (177th points, 179th money) are in desperate straits and probably need a top two finish this week.
Likewise Nick O’Hern (178th points, 170th money) and Cameron Percy (159th points, 171st money) who also made good starts by shooting two-under-par 68s.