Appleby leads by 4.

[Donny]

Appleby seizes PGA lead

From Andrew Both in Orlando, Florida - Fox


AUSTRALIAN golfer Stuart Appleby has a four-shot lead after the third round of the US PGA Tour's Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, Florida.

Appleby putted his way clear of the star-studded field, sinking two long bombs from over 40 feet on the front nine en-route to a six-under-par 66 in a moderate breeze.

He posted a 16-under 200 total with one round left, while Chad Campbell (70) bogeyed the last, but still held second place on 12-under 204.

Australian Adam Scott (6 birdied the final three holes to jump into third place, six shots behind, while second round leader Shigeki Maruyama (75) did not have a birdie as he slipped seven back.

Tiger Woods, seeking to become the first player to win the same PGA Tour event five consecutive times, surrendered any chance with a limp 74 that left him 15 shots behind.

Appleby, who won the season-opening Mercedes Championship in January, made a three-putt bogey at the first hole, but that was his only blemish as he roared back with seven birdies, including four in a row starting at the fifth hole, where he rolled in a 45-foot bomb.

He also made a 28-footer at the 7th hole, and a 41-footer at the 8th.

He added just two birdies on the back nine, and made a clutch 20-foot par at the par three 17th after a poor tee shot and an even poorer chip.

[Donny]

I screwed up: Appleby

Fox


STUART APPLEBY suffered a stunning back nine meltdown as Chad Campbell charged to a massive six-shot victory at the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, Florida today.

Victorian Appleby, who started the day with a four-stroke lead, plunged to a shocking four-over-par 76 in a scenario eerily similar to Greg Norman's collapse as the 1996 Masters.

Appleby was still four shots ahead after seven holes, but was on the wrong end of a 10-shot swing over the final 11 holes, and barely held onto second place on the Bay Hill course.

Texan Campbell was flawless, shooting 66 to finish at 18-under 270 for his second victory on the US Tour, worth $A1.21 million.

"I really screwed up the back nine," said Appleby, who played it in four-over. "Chad just kept making every putt. I was trying to ignore that and continue to do what I needed to do but he outplayed me, no two ways about that.

"I didn't have the little bits of luck I had yesterday and I hit some poor shots."

After making a complete mess of the final hole, Appleby had to get up-and-down from 144 metres to salvage a double bogey and lone second place, a shot ahead of Queenslander Adam Scott (71) and American Jerry Kelly (6.

There was little indication early in the round of what was about to unfold.

Appleby was still four ahead after seven holes but, when he bogeyed the ninth - his first dropped shot of the day - the lead was down to one.

He bogeyed the 11th to fall back into a tie, and also bogeyed the 14th to drop behind for the first time. It would only get worse from there, as Campbell's relentless consistency won the day.

Campbell birdied the par-3 second hole and ended the front nine with a pair of birdies. He birdied again on the par-5 12th to grab the lead and then solidified his hold with birdies at the 15th and par-5 16th.

Leading final-round scores (US unless noted):

270 – Chad Campbell 66-68-70-66

276 – Stuart Appleby (AUS) 67-67-66-76

277 – Scott Verplank 68-68-73-68, Adam Scott (AUS) 68-70-68-71

278 – Jerry Kelly 67-69-73-69