European Tour Members Vijay Singh, Darren Clarke and Retief Goosen made impressive starts to their 2004 campaigns, finishing second, third and joint fourth respectively behind Stuart Appleby in the Mercedes Championships in Hawaii, the opening event of the 2004 US PGA Tour Schedule.
Singh, who topped the 2003 US PGA Tour Money List after winning four times, trailed Appleby by two at the start of the final round and finished one stroke short on 21 under par 271 after a closing 70 to Appleby’’s 71 over Maui’’s Plantation Course.
Clarke, winner of the World Golf Championships – NEC Invitational last season, matched Singh’’s 70 to finish third on his debut in the event on 17 under par 275, two strokes ahead of another European Tour Member in Goosen, winner of the 2001 and 2002 Volvo Order of Merit, and World Number One Tiger Woods.
Appleby picked up four birdies and a bogey on the front nine to open a six shot lead but bogeyed the 12th before Singh reeled off three straight birdies to cut the gap to two shots with two holes left. The Fijian missed a birdie opportunity on the 17th and his final hole birdie was just too late to prevent Appleby claiming his fifth US PGA Tour title.
