Tue, Aug 03, 2010 page20

• Stuart Appleby hits golden number at Greenbrier Classic

  • AP, WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, West Virginia
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  Stuart Appleby hit golf’s magic number on Sunday, shooting a 59 to win the Greenbrier Classic, and became the fifth PGA Tour player to reach the low-round record.

  The Australian player birdied the final three holes with putts of 15 feet or less to win the tournament by a stroke and get down to 59. He also broke a four-year winless drought, when third-round leader Jeff Overton narrowly missed a long birdie attempt on the par-3 18th that would have forced a playoff.

  “I was quite comfortable,” Appleby said. “It’s not a nerve-wr­acking thing to be involved in. I had a lot of opportunities and I made them. It was great to do that to win the tournament.”

  

  Stuart Appleby of Australia poses with his golf ball after he finished with an 11-under par 59 during the final round of the Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, on Sunday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  Appleby’s 11-under round on the Old White course put him at 22 under. Overton, playing three groups behind Appleby, shot 67 to finish at 21 under.

  “I did the math. I was chasing Jeff, who was heading toward the finish line,” Appleby said. “At the same time, I was playing well and I thought if I could keep making birdies ... I knew I was going to run out of holes. There was plenty of [birdie chances] coming in.”

  Appleby’s round came less than a month after Paul Goydos shot a 59 at the John Deere Classic.

  The others to shoot 59 were Al Geiberger at the 1977 Memphis Classic, Chip Beck at the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational and David Duval at the 1999 Bob Hope Classic.

  Appleby had nine birdies and an eagle in his round to earn the US$1.08 million winner’s prize.

  He saw playing partner D.A. Points flirt with a 59 on Saturday before settling for a 61.

  On Sunday, it was Appleby’s turn.

  “It was nice to be on the receiving end,” Appleby said after his first PGA Tour title since the 2006 Houston Open.

  His previous career low was 62 in the 2003 Las Vegas Invitational.

  Appleby’s achievement was the first 59 on a par-70 course.

  Goydos’ came on a par 71 and the others on par 72s. Appleby understands there might be some debate as to whether his achievement is right up there with the others.

  “I agree,” he said. “I can see both sides of the fence. It is a number. I shot that number, but who says par is supposed to be 72? There’s a lot of great courses that aren’t 72.”

  Appleby didn’t have the advantage of lift, clean and place that Goydos and Geiberger enjoyed, even though overnight rains left mud on some balls.

  Appleby trailed Overton by seven strokes to start his round, shot 6-under 28 on the front nine and eagled the par-5 12th before settling for three straight pars.

  He got his momentum going again just in time with birdies of 15, 10 and 11 feet on the final three holes.

  Standing over his putt on 18, “I knew what it was all about,” Appleby said. “I knew I had to make it — I knew I had to make it for the tournament, I knew I had to make it to have a 59. I’m sitting there going: ‘How many opportunities are you going to get to do this?”
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