Sluman & Appleby team for CVS triumph

Stuart Appleby and Jeff Sluman lost their lead and then rallied Tuesday to win the CVS Charity Classic by two strokes at the Rhode Island Country Club.

The first-round leaders trailed by two shots after the front nine. But Sluman birdied the 10th hole and Appleby birdied four holes down the stretch to overtake the uncle-nephew team of Dana and Brett Quigley.

Following an opening-round 59 under the best-ball format, Sluman and Appleby shot 63 Tuesday for a two-day score of 20-under par.

"We managed to not make any bogeys over the two (days) and that was a key," said Sluman, who split the $200,000 winner's check with Appleby. "The hot start yesterday got us into good flow and really took the pressure off us."

The Quigleys, in the same foursome as Appleby-Sluman, birdied the first four holes to erase a first-round deficit. Brett had five birdies on the front nine, including a 35-foot putt at the third hole.

"I said to myself `Don't three-putt.' Then I said, `Forget that, I've got to make this putt'," Brett Quigley said.

The Quigley putters cooled on the back side, and the team had to settle for seven straight pars. By the time Dana Quigley birdied the 17th, Appleby and Sluman had retaken the lead for keeps.