Mercedes Championship:Australia's Stuart Appleby, who defends his Mercedes Championship crown this week, has taken ownership at the Kapalua Resort in more ways than one.
Dubbed the 'King of Kapalua' after completing a record-equalling hat-trick of titles in the USPGA Tour's season-opening event last year, Appleby has bought a property in the area.
"Half of my victories have come out of this section of the woods, so it was a no-brainer," the 35-year-old said yesterday's as he prepared for today's opening round.
"So many people were saying I should be buying property here and I was happy to do it.
"It's an amazing piece of property on Honolua Ridge. It's not my home, but it's become my golf home in a way."
Appleby, who clinched his seventh USPGA Tour title when he edged out Vijay Singh in a play-off at Kapalua's Plantation Course last year, has always felt at home on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
"I just feel comfortable here and very relaxed," he added. "It's almost like a conditioned response when I get on the first tee.
"I still feel nervous like you do through any tournament, but this one has more of a relaxed feeling, knowing that I have played well here.
"If I keep winning, I'll keep turning up. It's not hard to come back to a place where you have so many fond memories."
The one emotion Appleby is certain he will experience this week is raw excitement as he bids to become the fifth player in USPGA Tour history to win the same tournament four years in a row.
"Coming back here is a pleasure full-stop but coming back as defending champion in this event, for my fourth attempt in a row, is really exciting," he said.
"I've never done this before. Maybe Tiger (Woods) has more experience in knowing what it's like but it's exciting and I'm really looking forward to it."
World number one Woods, champion at Kapalua in 2000, is not playing this week in the event which brings together all the title-holders from the previous USPGA Tour season.
After enjoying nearly two weeks of skiing in Colorado last month with his family and friends, he felt he was too rusty for tournament golf.
The 12-times major winner also wanted to spend more time with his wife Elin, who is expecting their first child later this year.
"Having won here three times, I'd like to think I have some intimidation factor on him," Appleby joked.
"He was going for his seventh official win in a row and maybe he didn't want me to break his run." Woods won eight titles on the 2006 USPGA Tour, ending his campaign with a remarkable run of six wins in a row.
"No, I'm sure it's disappointing," Appleby added. "We all want to play against Tiger because we know on any given week he can just explode."
Should the Australian triumph this week, he would become the first player since Woods (at the 2003 Bay Hill Invitational) to win a USPGA Tour event four years in a row.
Another contender will be 2001 champion Jim Furyk, the bookmakers' favourite who will be keen to start the new season with a win.
"I've played well here in the past with a couple of wins on this course," said Furyk.
The tournament only features USPGA Tour winners from 2006, which rules out South African duo Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, while Phil Mickelson is on holiday and declined to play for the fifth straight time after qualifying.
This year, the USPGA Tour has revamped its schedule to feature a points race that begins at Kapalua and finishes with four 'play-off' tournaments at the end of the season.First round tee times
(US unless stated, all times Irish)
12.40am - KJ Choi (Kor), A Scott (Aus)
12.50 - T Matteson, J Durant
1.00 - D Love III, D J Trahan
1.10 - W MacKenzie, E Axley
1.20 - C Pavin, D Wilson
1.30 - J Senden (Aus), J Rollins
1.40 - J J Henry, T Immelman (Rsa)
1.50 - V Singh (Fij), B Curtis
2.00 - J Maggert, C Pettersson (Swe)
2.10 - B Wetterich, T Herron
2.20 - C Couch, J Furyk
2.30 - S Ames (Can), A Baddeley (Aus)
2.40 - L Donald (Eng), R Pampling (Aus)
2.50 - G Ogilvy (Aus), K Triplett
3.00 - R Sabbatini (Rsa), A Oberholser
3.10 - C Campbell, J B Holmes
3.20 - S Appleby (Aus), D Toms
