Mercedes Championships at Kapalua

From the Kapalua Newsletter:

Almost 50 years separates the last and only time a player won the season-opening PGA TOUR Tournament of Champions for a third year in a row. On January 5, Stuart Appleby will tee off at the Mercedes Championships at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course in an effort to be the first player since Gene Littler to score three consecutive wins.

In 2004, Stuart overcame a four-stroke deficit on the final day of the Mercedes Championships to win by only one shot ahead of Vijay Singh. After health and family reasons almost kept him from returning in 2005 to defend his title, Stuart had a shaky beginning setting a tournament record for highest start by a winner with a 1-over-par 74. But then he shot 22-under on the weekend beating Jonathan Kaye by one better for a 271 total. While a big part of that win was playing the last 55 holes without a bogey, Stuart credits the mentality of “one shot at a time” as being the key to his continued success. Will that be enough to continue his streak?

Sure to be in hot pursuit is Vijay Singh. Currently ranked #2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Vijay is coming off a stellar 2005 season where he led the TOUR at 185-under par, had the most top-10s on TOUR with 18, and had the second best scoring average at 69.04. Finishing second in the 2004 event and in the top 5 each of the last 4 years in the elite champions-only field of the Mercedes Championships, Vijay is one opponent Stuart will have to watch closely as the two-year-running defending champion tries for a three-peat.

Don’t Miss the Mercedes Championships, The Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort January 2 – 8, 2006.

For phone orders, call Ticketmaster at 1-877-750-4400 (toll free) or visit www.pgatour.com or visit www.ticketmaster.com.