HUMBLE, Texas, April 20 (UPI) -- Australia's Stuart Appleby shot a 6-under-par 66 Thursday to take the first-round lead at the Shell Open Golf Tournament in Humble, Texas.
Jerry Smith and D.A. Points both shot 5-under 67 to share second place.
Aaron Baddeley, last week's winner at the Verizon Heritage, is among a group of five players tied for fourth-place at 4-under 68. The others are Charles Warren, Brent Geiberger, Stephen Leaney and Mattias Gronberg.
Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland also shot 4-under 68, but later withdrew to fly home to be with his wife, who is battling breast cancer.
Two-time defending champion and three-time Houston Open winner Vijay Singh leads a group of 13 players tied for ninth place at 3-under 69. That group includes John Daly, Jesper Parnevik and Paul Goydos.
Fourteen players are tied at 2-under 70, including Lee Janzen and Jeff Maggert.
