Appleby Defeats Singh in Playoff

Stuart Appleby had to go an extra hole to make it three in a row Sunday at the Mercedes Championships, making a birdie on the par-five 18th hole to force a playoff against Vijay Singh, then winning on the same hole with a bunker shot that nearly went in.

Appleby joined Gene Littler in 1955-57 as the only players to win the winners-only tournament three consecutive times.

“This one was the hardest,” said Appleby, who went from a two-shot lead to a two-shot deficit before making birdies on two of the last four holes for a two-under-par 71.

Two groups ahead of him, Singh surged into the lead with a seven-under 66, the best score of the tournament and nine shots better than the average score in the final round. But in the playoff, Singh’s approach caught a soft bounce and stayed short of the green, and his 100-foot eagle putt stopped nine feet short of the hole.

Appleby hit a three-iron through the green into the back bunker, then blasted out and watched the ball tickle over the rim of the cup before settling two feet away. Singh’s birdie putt stayed right the whole way, and Appleby holed his short putt for what is becoming a familiar finish at this tournament.

Both players finished at eight-under 284, the highest score to win in the eight years the event has been played on the Plantation course at Kapalua.

Appleby won for the seventh time on the PGA Tour, earning $1.08 million.

Jim Furyk shot 72 in each round and joined Appleby as the only players to break par each round. Furyk finished third at four-under 288.