Stuart Appleby enjoyed a great round of golf today as he shot a 7-under 63 to take a one shot lead at the Byron Nelson Championship. Appleby’s last win came on January 10 at the 2005 Mercedes Championships in Hawaii at the Plantation Course at Kapalua, Maui. Since his win at the Mercedes he hasn’t finished within the top ten in six starts.
Anybody who watched Appleby today was impressed with his efficient play and ability to execute needed shots. He holed out from 23 feet on the par-4 first and followed that up by holing out from 41 feet on the par-3 second. That is the way to boost your confidence as you start a round, if you were wondering. “Today was a much more balanced round of golf,” said Appleby. “I hit the ball well. I chipped well which is something I haven’t been doing well lately. I rolled the ball [well]. Overall a good rhythmical day.”
I own a pair of Oakleys that are so old I can’t even figure out what model they are (I think they’re similar to the Fives 2.0 series). Anyway, I have kept them for so long because I can’t seem to find another pair that will take their place. I love their gold iridium lenses and it seems that no other company makes something similar (or as good).
A bogey-free 67 placed Annika Sorenstam near the top of the leaderboard in opening-round action today. Challengers were all fighting for the right to be in the lead, but it was Laura Davies who moved into the coveted position with a 6-under 66. Right behind Sorenstam was 
The sun has set on a 
I’ve always had a soft spot for the traditional blade style putter used by Ben Crenshaw and Phil Mickelson, playing such models as the Wilson 8802 and “the” Original Putter by Arnold Palmer. To me, there isn’t a more timeless club. It oozes tradition. Old video footage shows Jones, Palmer, Hagan and Snead using them, yet they’re almost as forgotten as persimmon due to the current trend of mallet putters. Much to my dismay, I haven’t found many blades around anymore, so when I saw that Yes! developed the Sophia, I had to try it.
Michelle Wie is just your everyday 15-year-old female golfer. Well, apart from the fact that she has played in two PGA Tour events and in the final pairing with Annika Sorenstam on Sunday in an LPGA major.
I’ve been fortunate to attend many golf tournaments. My first was in 1984 as I watched Bob Tway hole a bunker shot to defeat Greg Norman on the 18th at Inverness for the PGA Championship. Most recently I saw the 2003 British Open at Royal St. George. While I’ve had a blast at every tournament I’ve been to, I’ve always found it difficult to attend a tournament and not feel as though I’ve seen all I could. I’ve finally come to the realization that it’s impossible to see everything – the players, the course, the spectacles – unless you’re there for multiple days.