Appleby currently 142nd in the FedEx rankings and needs to move into the top 125
STUART APPLEBY and Gavin Coles kept their slim US PGA Tour Playoff hopes alive today with strong performances in the opening round of the 2012 Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.
Appleby, who basically needs a top ten finish to get into the FedEx Cup playoffs beginning in New York next week, had a great start highlighted with an eagle on the par five fifth.
Added to birdies on 4, 8 & 11 he was five under and well inside the mark but certainly didn’t need late bogeys on 16 and 18.
Appleby and Coles both finished at 3-under, five behind the cracking pace set by Swede Carl Pettersson.
Pettersson kept the momentum going from his great form at the US PGA Championship to fire a flawless eight-under 62.
He had a one shot lead over American David Mathis and South African Tim Clark.
Aussies Matt Jones, Nick O’Hern and Rod Pampling were also still in contention at 2-under.
2012 Wyndham Championship Leaderboard
Unfortunately the boys couldn’t keep it going through the next few rounds. Coles missed the cut on Friday while Stuart got through but had a poor final round today.