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Three top first day leaderboard

Stuart Appleby posted a six-under 65 on Thursday to join Chris DiMarco and J.J. Henry at the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the Kemper Open.

Lee Porter, Bob Estes and Frank Nobilo are a shot back at five-under while Willie Wood, Chris Riley and Mark O'Meara are tied for seventh at minus- four.

Appleby began his round on the second nine at the TPC at Avenel and bogeyed his first hole, the 10th. He parred the next and then set Kemper Open history. Appleby birdied six holes in a row, starting at 12 and included a chip-in birdie at 16.

The 30-year-old broke the record for consecutive birdies in a round at the Kemper Open by one shot. Four players have accomplished the feat of five in a row, with the most recent being Neal Lancaster in 1998.

"It's not a thrill -- a thrill is winning the tournament," Appleby said. "It's like leading after five laps at the Indy and you spin out at the next turn and you're done. You can't count your chickens on that one."

Appleby bogeyed the third hole but rebounded with a 20-foot birdie at four. He two-putted the sixth green for birdie at the par-five hole and then dropped a shot at eight. Appleby grabbed his piece of the lead with a 12- foot birdie putt at nine.

DiMarco three-putted both the second and fifth greens for bogeys but they were the only blemishes on his scorecard. At the sixth, DiMarco two-putted from 20 feet for birdie and made it two in a row with a four-footer at seven. He closed his front nine with a 20-foot birdie putt after a nine- iron tee shot.

DiMarco posted a birdie at the 11th and then ran home four birdies in a row, starting at 13, where he chipped his third shot to within two feet. His three other birdies all came from inside of 15 feet.

The University of Florida graduate hit all 14 fairways on Thursday.

"You can get away with some drives that are off line, because they're so soft and not rolling that much," said DiMarco, who won last year's Pennsylvania Classic.

Henry, a tour rookie, started on the back nine with three birdies in his first five holes. He bogeyed 15 but reclaimed the lost stroke with a birdie at 17 and a first-nine 32.

He birdie number one but dropped a shot at three. Henry made four birdies in his next five holes but dropped sole possession of first place when he bogeyed nine.

"Who knows?" said Henry, who took fourth in last week's Buy.com Richmond Open. "This tournament, in a way it's got to be rewarding to rookies, looking back at who's won the last couple of years. You've had numerous first-time winners here. It's got to be in the back of your mind, something positive to feed off of."

Phil Mickelson used four birdies, three bogeys and an eagle to shoot a 68. He is one of 14 golfers tied for 10th at three-under par.

Defending champion Tom Scherrer bogeyed three holes in a row on his front nine and struggled to a one-over 72.

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