Kenny Perry outlasted fellow Americans Woody Austin and Bubba Watson to capture the US$5 million PGA Buick Open on Sunday.
“I still can’t believe I won. I feel like I need to go make a birdie out there to go win this tournament,” Perry said.
Perry, 47, shot a final round six-under 66 to take his second title of the season by one shot.
FORTUNATE FORTIES
“I had multiple wins in ‘03, ‘05 and ‘08. My forties have been pretty good for me,” Perry said.
Perry, who also won the Memorial and is now making a march toward a berth on the US Ryder Cup team, which will take on Europe in September at Valhalla in Perry’s home state of Kentucky.
“I’ve been hitting great bunker shots this week and I was very comfortable with the sand,” Perry said of his shot on 14. “I knew I could get it up there within 10 feet of the hole. I wasn’t trying to make it. I was just trying to get it up there to have a realistic birdie chance at it.”
Perry finished at 19-under 269 while Austin and Watson were still on the course. Watson missed a 12-foot birdie putt on 18 that would have forced a playoff, but it was Austin who really let this one get away.
BLOWING IT
“I threw it away. I didn’t hit the ball close enough to the hole the last two holes to counteract my yips that I have when it comes to putting,” Austin said.
The winner here back in 1995, Austin made a move with three straight birdies starting on 12 and then got to 20-under with a birdie at the 16th.
Nursing a one-stroke lead with two holes to play, Austin finished bogey-bogey and in a tie for second with Watson at 18-under.
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