Appleby Leads Choi By Two

Saturday, July 7th 2007, 6:33 pm

By: News On 6

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) -- Stuart Appleby shot 2-under 68 on a hot and humid afternoon at Congressional Country Club to take a two-shot lead over KJ Choi at the inaugural AT&T National. Choi shot even-par 70. Steve Stricker is three off the lead.

Tournament host Tiger Woods, meanwhile, rued what could have been. He shot a one-under 69 but missed several long birdie putts by just inches. He's tied for eighth, seven shots off the lead.

Woods says he "turned a 63 or 64 into a 69 very smoothly."

Woods had six birdie putts that stopped less than a foot from the hole, and two more that settled less than two feet away.