Golf

Appleby grinds to Mercedes lead

KAPALUA, Hawaii - The scenery suggests a vacation in paradise. The golf was all work Friday in the Mercedes Championships, where defending champion Stuart Appleby survived 35 mph gusts for 1-under 72 to take a one-shot lead.

He hit his tee shot into the knee-high weeds on the 18th hole and made bogey, finishing his two rounds at 3-under 143. He won the last two years with scores of 21 and 22 under par.

"If anyone gets to double figures, that would be excellent golf," Appleby said.

David Toms missed a 6-foot birdie putt on 18 that could have caught Appleby, settling for 73 to join U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell (72), former U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk (72) and three-time major champion Vijay Singh (74) at 2-under 144.

"It's good practice for the (British) Open," Campbell said.

Sergio Garcia had 74 and first-round leader Olin Browne had 76 on a Plantation course that was tough on lightning-quick greens that moved to warp speed when the gusts were at a peak. Browne is two back.

Fred Funk twice hit his ball out of play on his way to an 82. Sean O'Hair had four birdies and still shot 79.

The course average was 75.5, the toughest round in the eight-year history at Kapalua, and the wind is responsible for most of that. Appleby figured the wind alone made the course as many as five shots harder.

"It's more of a grind," he said. "You have to work harder to put a score on the card. There's no real run of birdies."

Singh, No. 2 in the world, overcame a double bogey with tough par putts and birdies on the last two par 5s.

Jason Bohn birdied four of his last five holes for 70, the best round of the day.

NEW YEAR'S INVITATIONAL: Ben Spickard, a sophomore at the University of Tennessee, followed his opening 68 with a par 72 to take the lead in the 80th annual amateur classic at St. Petersburg Country Club.

Battling strong winds in the field of 135, Spickard bogeyed the par-5 second but had birdies on Nos. 5, 10, 11 and 13.

"I plan to continue to do what I was doing," said Spickard, 20, who was a stroke behind Kyle Simmons of South Alabama entering the second round. "I'll just try to keep the momentum."

Vols teammate Phil Pettitt had the best round, 71, to share second with Tyler Rucarean of the Florida Gators at 141 (69-72).

Tournament favorite Luke List of Vanderbilt, a preseason All-American, is in the hunt after 73 (142).

Simmons attributed his 79 after opening with 67 to the wind.

"I'm still only six behind with two rounds to play so I'm definitely still in it," he said. "All in all, I hit the ball better today but just didn't score. I had 12 more putts and shot 12 strokes higher than on Thursday."

Toby Ragland of the Gators made a hole in one on the 189-yard par-3 fourth hole en route to a round of 74. He is at 146.

In the mid-amateur division, University of California graduate Eric West broke a first-place tie with former Gator Dalton Melnyk, shooting 72 for 141, two strokes ahead of Melnyk at the halfway point.

Dennis Williams, 59, the first-round leader in the senior division, shot 80 and dropped into a tie for the lead at 154. Richard Hope, the veteran tournament director, moved into the tie with 77 along with fellow host-club member Doug Root (79).

The tournament resumes at 11 a.m. and concludes Sunday with a starting time of 10 a.m.

- DAVE THEALL, Times correspondent

[Last modified January 7, 2006, 01:15:51]