HUMBLE, Texas -- Stuart Appleby thinks he has 10, maybe 15
years left on the PGA Tour. He's determined to make the most of
them.
The 34-year-old Appleby shot a 6-under 66 on The Tournament
Course at Redstone Golf Club on Thursday to take the first-round
lead in the Shell Houston Open.
"I'm trying to play well all the time," Appleby said. "I
think that's an addictive thing you want to get into and you keep
going and keep playing until it gets out of tune."
The Australian teed off early and took advantage of calm
conditions on the new course, the event's third venue in four
years. The Rees Jones-designed layout opened in August 2005 and
most of the players are getting their first look at it this week.
Appleby said the course would yield low scores if the wind
stayed down -- and it did throughout his round.
"Conditions were quite easy," Appleby said. "There was
definitely a 6-under score to be had out there by somebody and I
was fortunate."
The breeze picked up later in the day, though, and the course
toughened up.
"The wind can kind of mess with you a little bit," said John
Daly, who shot a 69 in the afternoon. "It can change on your
backswing."
Appleby said his round wasn't "clean and perfect," but a
couple of "bonus" shots led to the sparkling score.
He sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the sixth and another one on
No. 11. He hit a bad approach to the par-5 13th for his only bogey,
then chipped in on No. 17 and made a downhill 20-foot birdie putt
on the 18th.
"I hit it good enough to give myself opportunities," he said.
"Could have been better, but could have also not chipped in and
made some other stuff."
Appleby won the Houston Open in 1999, when it was played at the
TPC at The Woodlands. But outside of Kapalua, where he's won the
season-opening Mercedes Championships three straight years, Appleby
has won only the 2003 Las Vegas Invitational since 2000.
His age is one number above his world golf ranking. But he has a
plan to climb into the top 10, borrowing from both Tiger Woods and
Phil Mickelson.
"Tiger always says he's trying to get better. That's the
attitude you've got to have," Appleby said. "I think Mickelson
has done a very comprehensive look at his game and learned from
mistakes he's made. He's coming up with all sorts of ideas to do
it.
"You always have to have a very open mind about what you need
to do."
Jerry Smith and D.A. Points also benefitted from early tee times
and shot 67s.
Smith, who turns 42 on Monday, is back on the PGA Tour for the
first time since 2002. He finished sixth on the Nationwide Tour
money list last year, but he's missed three cuts in eight starts in
2006.
He's as surprised as anyone by his opening round.
"I wasn't comfortable last night," Smith said. "I think it's
going to be a challenge for me all week. I don't try to deny
anything, but maybe my game will start feeling a little better as
the week goes along."
Australia's Aaron Baddeley, coming off his first PGA Tour win
last week at Hilton Head, was two strokes back after a 68.
Baddeley said the confidence he gained from the victory has
carried over to this week.
"It's been good just knowing I've won out here, and when I do
play well, (knowing) I can go ahead and finish and win," he said.
Fellow Aussie Stephen Leaney, Brent Geiberger and Charles Warren
also shot 68s.
Two-time defending champion Vijay Singh was part of a group
three shots back after 69s. Singh birdied all four par-5s, but
bogeyed the 18th after hitting his tee shot into the fairway
bunker.
Singh is the only one of golf's Big Five playing this week.
Woods, Mickelson, Retief Goosen and Ernie Els are skipping the
event.<
^Divots:@ David Toms, who worked with Jones on the course's design,
shot a 71. ... Appleby is one of five Houston Open champions from
Australia. Robert Allenby, David Graham, Bruce Crampton and Bruce
Devlin also won in Houston. ... Darren Clarke shot a 68, then
withdrew and flew home to England to be with his cancer-stricken
wife, Heather. Tournament organizers said Clarke dropped out to go
home and "discuss further treatment with Heather and her
doctors." Clarke's wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002
and it has spread throughout her body.