Appleby plays
despite grief

KAPALUA, Maui -- Stuart Appleby will never view a simple action the same way again.

His wife, Renay, made one last July and paid for it with her life. After they left a taxi in London, she realized she had forgotten a package in the back seat of the car and went to retrieve it, minutes before the couple was to board a train bound for Paris.

She was killed when another taxi backed into her, pinning her between cars, forever changing Stuart's life. Last month, it was ruled accidental. The motorist panicked when he thought he was in drive, but was actually in reverse.

Since then, Appleby has marked time by the golf tournaments he has played in. Life hasn't been easy for Appleby, but the support he has received from PGA Tour professionals and fans alike, has helped him make it from one week to the next.

''There isn't a minute of the day that I don't think about her,'' said Appleby, who shot a 3-under 70 in yesterday's opening round of the Mercedes Championships. ''Christmas was very hard.''

The fans gave Appleby a polite round of applause as he approached the 18th green. He two-putted from about 40 feet to secure a birdie. He waved to the crowd, patted his caddy on the back and headed toward the scorer's tent. Now came the hard part.

''The time between the rounds is very difficult,'' Appleby said, who was a part of the winning international team at last month's President's Cup in his home country of Australia. ''I still miss her very much.''

Appleby made the elite 30-man field by winning the Kemper Open last June. Barely a month later, he lost his wife. After he failed to make the cut at the British Open, they decided a weekend in Paris would be nice. But fate had other plans.

''The President's Cup was a wonderful experience because Renay wanted me to make the team,'' Appleby said. ''I know she was happy for me.''

TOUGH FINISH: With the Kona breezes gently blowing in the face of the golfers, the two finishing holes proved to be the most difficult on the course.

Normally, they play downwind. But with the trades still on holiday, the par-4, 486-yard 17th and the par-5, 663-yard 18th took their toll on the 30 PGA Tour players.

The 18th hole was the most difficult. There were no eagles, 11 birdies, 15 pars, four bogeys and one double bogey to produce a stroke average of 6.24. Golfers needed an average of 4.7 strokes on the 17th. There were two birdies, 25 pars, two bogeys and one double bogey.

''Those holes played long today,'' big hitter Tiger Woods said. ''And if it rains (today), they'll be even more difficult, especially for the medium-range hitters.''

The easiest hole was the par-5, 521-yard ninth. The stroke average was a sizzling 4.3 There were two eagles, 19 birdies, eight pars and one bogey. And that belonged to defending champion Phil Mickelson, who finished at even par.

CHANGING TIMES: Those golf fans around the country watching today's second round on ESPN will be seeing it tape delayed.

Because a major rain storm is reportedly on the way, PGA Tour officials opted to start at 8 a.m. today, rather than 11 a.m., in hopes of beating the rain and perhaps the wind.

''If the winds come, then this course is going to get a lot more difficult,'' said Justin Leonard, one of 26 golfers to break par. ''The rain could also change these greens, so I look for higher scores over the weekend.''

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By Paul Arnett