Fowler takes first day honours

Australia's Peter Fowler scored 17 points under the modified Stableford format Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over countryman Stuart Appleby in the ANZ Championship.

Fowler had nine birdies and a bogey on the oceanside New South Wales Golf Club course, with players receiving eight points for double eagle, five for eagle, two for birdie, zero for par, minus-one for bogey, and minus-three for double bogey or higher.

The 43-year-old Fowler is winless since the 1993 BMW International in Germany. He won the Australian Open in 1983 and was second in six European tour events between 1984 and 1992.

"It's hard work to continue playing, but my game's coming together," Fowler said. "It's hard losing your card and being told you're not good enough. I've had to dig deep."

Appleby matched Fowler with an 8-under 64, finishing with eight birdies in a bogey-free round. "I played well and had a couple of kick-in birdies," Appleby said. "A good clean round of golf."

Australia's Peter Lonard, coming off a second-place tie last week in the Heineken Classic in Melbourne, was third with 15 points. Lonard's round included a five-point eagle on the par-5 12th and a birdie on No. 18. Countryman Craig Parry birdied the 18th to move into fourth place with 14 points.

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