An impressive top-15 result has handed nine-time PGA TOUR winner Stuart Appleby top Australasian honours at the Fed Ex St Jude Classic.

The surprise performance will be a welcome one for the 47-year-old who lost full playing privileges at the end of 2016 but continues to tee up on both the PGA and Web.com Tours whenever the opportunity arises.

This was Appleby’s seventh start of the season but just the third time he has played the weekend, his last made cut coming in March.

An opening 66 had Appleby sharing second place after 18 holes and set up what is easily his best result of 2018.

He backed up with scores of 70-69-69 to eventually finish T12 at 6-under, 13 shots behind tournament winner Dustin Johnson but two ahead of next best Australasian Cameron Percy.

Percy consolidated his position in the top-200 on the FedEx Cup standings with a T26 result, his final round 68 moving him 13 places up the leaderboard and nabbing vital FedEx Cup points.

Appleby’s good play has also vaulted him inside the top-200 on the FedEx Cup table which could be important come the end of the season.

While he will have limited opportunities between now and the play-offs in late August if he can maintain that position he will be eligible for the Web.com Tour finals and a chance to earn back his PGA TOUR status.

Aaron Baddeley (T37) and Matt Jones (T51) were the other Australasians to play the weekend, Danny Lee, Robert Allenby and Greg Chalmers all failing to advance.