Appleby prefers Oz event to Pebble Beach ‘boghole’

AUSTRALIAN golfer Stuart Appleby claims he is happy to play in this week’s ANZ Championship in favour of a US Tour event at Pebble Beach, describing the American course as a “boghole”.

Appleby, along with compatriot Peter Lonard, will be at the glorious New South Wales Golf Club in La Perouse this week.

But the course itself is one of the few things the tournament appears to have going for it.

It is a modified stableford event, a format to promote attacking golf but one that does not sit comfortably with many players.

There is no appearance fee, which is a major drawback, and the prize money on offer is one fifth of the £3.5 million promised at Pebble Beach.

And yet, despite the tournament also being lodged between the Heineken Classic and the Johnnie Walker Classic, nothing would induce Lonard and Appleby to play anywhere else this week.

Appleby was asked if he would “help out” and he gave the offer no second thoughts.

“I didn’t come kicking and screaming. It wasn’t an inconvenience. I didn’t want to play Pebble Beach anyway. I’m not interested. It’s a bog-hole.”

He added: “Obviously things have been pretty tough economically the last few years and Australia always has struggled to get name players consistently. It is pretty much fair to say we were encouraged to play.

“I’d rather be playing here for a fifth of the money because this is just a great golf course. I love it.”

Lonard is enjoying a blistering streak of form and after a year in the United States has seen his world ranking rise to 36. He shared the Australian PGA title with Jarrod Mosely, won the Australian Masters and then tied for second behind Ernie Els at last week’s Heineken Classic.

Lonard enjoys mixing it at the top of the leaderboard and felt his chances of doing so were better at the ANZ.

“You get to perform under serious pressure down the stretch.

“There’s nothing like having to shoot four under par on the back nine and birdie the last hole to win a tournament,” Lonard said, referring to his dramatic last round at Royal Melbourne.

Meanwhile, John Daly has withdrawn from next week’s Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth.

The former British Open champion cited personal reasons for his decision to pull out of the £1 million tournament.

However, Ian Woosnam and Lee Westwood have added their names to a high-class field that includes world number two Ernie Els, winner of four of his last five events.

Defending champion is South African Retief Goosen and also playing are Sergio Garcia, Nick Faldo, joint runner-up to Els at the Heineken Classic in Melbourne on Sunday, and Justin Rose.