Australian Stuart Appleby overcame the wind at the TPC at Avenel yesterday to record his second US PGA Tour victory, a one-shot triumph in the $2 million Kemper Open at Potomac, Maryland.
Appleby shot a one-over 72 for a 10-under total of 274, one stroke better than Scott Hoch, who finished with a 70.
Third-round leader Fred Funk collapsed and shot a six-over 77. He finished in a five-way tie for third place with Masters champion Mark O'Meara, Tommy Tolles, Brad Fabel and Clark Dennis.
The 27-year-old Appleby, who won the Honda Classic last year, more than doubled his 1998 earnings with the first-place prize of $360,000. He had missed the cut in half of his 14 starts in 1998 and had only $204,847 after becoming the first player from the Nike Tour to win $1 million in a year.
O'Meara fired a 69 and Tolles shot a 74 while Fabel and Dennis both shot 73. Dennis matched his career-best finish, equalling his third-place at the 1990 Hawaiian Open.
Kemper Open (in Potomac, Maryland) Leading Final Scores - (US unless stated): 274 - S Appleby (Australia) 70 63 69 72; 275 - S Hoch 69 68 68 70; 278 - M O'Meara 68 70 71 69, B Fabel 69 66 70 73, C Dennis 70 65 70 73, T Tolles 70 68 66 74, F Funk 64 66 71 77; 279 - S Stricker 70 69 71 69, C Parry (Aus) 67 66 76 70, H Sutton 69 69 69 72; 280 - S Flesch 69 68 74 69, B McCallister 70 71 70 69; 281 - D Hart 69 71 71 70. 282 - Craig Barlow 71 71 73 67, L Mize 75 67 72 68, K Perry 70 68 74 70, J Adams 71 69 72 70, R Black 68 68 72 74, W Wood 73 66 70 73, C DiMarco 68 65 70 79.
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