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Deal closed Perry captures Buick Open for first title since '95
Updated: Monday August 13, 2001 8:58 AM
GRAND BLANC, Mich. (AP) -- Kenny Perry was not thinking about the PGA Championship. Making the Ryder Cup team and setting records were the farthest thing from his mind. Perry just wanted to win his first tournament since 1995 and the fourth of his career, which he did with a 3-under-par 69 Sunday at the Buick Open. Perry's 25-under 263 was two strokes ahead of Chris DiMarco (65) and Jim Furyk (66), who improved their Ryder Cup chances with strong performances. Perry picked up a $558,000 check and 150 Ryder Cup points with the win, but his 254 points aren't enough to be in the top 25. "I didn't even look at the Ryder Cup, I'm so far behind," Perry said. "I hadn't won in six years and this was a very key win for me, especially with a five-shot lead." Perry began the final round with a large lead after setting a tournament record with a 22-under 194 total. He finished one stroke away from tying Robert Wrenn's 72-hole Buick Open record. Perry became the first player on Tour this year to shoot a 29 for nine holes twice in the same tournament, which he did Friday and Saturday. He was more proud of ending his six-year drought, however. "I didn't think I was ever going to win again, to tell you the truth," Perry said. "It made me appreciate those three wins even more." Perry's last win was the 1995 Bob Hope Classic. He finished among the top 11 in four of his last seven tournaments. The Buick Open provided a tune-up for next weekend's PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club and a chance for some to improve their chances of making the Ryder Cup team. Furyk picked up 85 Ryder Cup points to move from 11th to eighth, and DiMarco jumped from 16th to 11th, just 10 points behind Tom Lehman, who missed the cut. "Second place is never a great place," Furyk said. "It's a good spot to finish in, but it always leaves you a little empty because you got so close. Earning some points and getting a little bit more of a solid position for the Ryder Cup is definitely a good consolation." The top 10 on the Ryder Cup points list after next week's PGA Championship will make the team, and captain Curtis Strange will add two other players. "It's a huge goal now," DiMarco said. "I'm not going to put any more pressure on myself, but I've been playing good. I just have to keep playing good. "I'm probably going to have to earn it." Perry was steady enough Sunday with a bogey-free round to keep his lead. When his advantage dwindled to one stroke, he stayed aggressive, driving the green on the 322-yard, par-4 14th. Perry birdied it to go to 24-under, while Hart bogeyed the 17th, giving Perry a three-stroke lead. Furyk pulled within a shot with a long birdie putt on 17, but Perry answered with a birdie on 16 to go 25-under. Perry saved a lot of pars, but perhaps his most dramatic was on the sixth hole. His drive plugged in the fairway and his approach landed 30 yards past the green, next to a post supporting an electronic leaderboard. After getting a free drop, he chipped onto the fringe and made a 12-foot putt. Billy Mayfair set the PGA Tour nine-hole record with a 9-under par 27 on the back nine en route to a tournament record 11-under 61 Sunday to finish 17 under. Mayfair also broke the tour's birdie-eagle streak with eight consecutive holes under par on Nos. 9-16. He eagled the 401-yard, par-4 10th and birdied the other seven holes. "The hole just looked as big as a tub," Mayfair said. "I just tried to stay out of my own way." Phil Mickelson, second on the money list, shot an 8-under 64 to finish at 18-under 270. Mickelson will look to shed the label of being "the best golfer to never win a major" at the PGA Championship. "I'm right where I want to be going into next week" Mickelson said. "I'm striking the ball well and I'm putting well. That's what this week was about."
Divots: Two other golfers have shot 27s, but Mike Souchak was 8-under when he did it at the 1955 Texas Open and Andy North was 7-under at the 1975 B.C. Open. ... Mayfair surpassed Al Geiberger's
birdie-eagle streak of seven, which he set at the 1977 Danny Thomas
Memphis Classic, and Webb Heintzelman tied at the 1989 Las Vegas
Invitational. ... Perry has now earned more than $1 million this
year for the first time in his 15-year career. ... Heath Slocum,
playing in his first tour event, finished in a tie for 49th at 10
under.
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