Perry prevails in JDC

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By Andrew Petersen | Monday, July 14, 2008 |

Kenny Perry holds up the trophy for winning the John Deere Classic on Sunday. (Jeff Cook/Quad-City Times) Buy this Photo

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John Deere Classic: Day 4

SILVIS, Ill. — His driver was erratic.

His wedge was inconsistent.

But Kenny Perry’s putter was unbeatable.

In the end, the 47-year-old turned in a relatively routine two-putt on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to close Sunday’s final round of the John Deere Classic with a win.

Were it not for the unrivaled fluidity of his flat stick, though, Perry would have been relegated to watching Jay Williamson and Brad Adamonis play on as a twosome.

On the heels of two ugly chips at No. 18, Perry sank a 5-foot, 9-inch putt to stay in the race at 16 under par.

Soon after, Adamonis and Williamson found the water left of the 18th green in the playoff, and Perry became the oldest player to win in the Q-C tournament’s 38-year history. The victory was his third of the year and 12th of his career.

“I love this big golf course,” he said. “I didn’t put too much pressure on myself to win or lose. I have never remembered a tournament where my putter won the tournament for me.

“I was clutch.”

Williamson and Adamonis, looking for their first PGA win, each had makeable birdie putts on their final hole of regulation.

Playing with Perry, Williamson left a 22-footer short, and in the next group, Adamonis missed from 15 feet.

“Kenny is a great player,” Williamson said. “I played right with him. I drove it with him.

“If I could putt like he did today …”

Unlike his three previous rounds, most of Perry’s clutch putts were for par. He entered Sunday 15 under, and sank four par putts from at least 12 feet to end the day with a 1-under 70.

In May, Perry realized he was struggling with his putter, and he remembered an encounter he had with a member at Bent Pine Golf Club in Vero Beach, Fla., earlier in the spring.

Paul Hargarten approached Perry and handed him a Ping Craz-E putter, saying “It’s going to help you.”

The gift landed in the back of Perry’s truck and his mind.

“I didn’t think nothing of it,” Perry said. “I started putting bad with my Rossi, so I went and grabbed it. And the next thing you know, I’ve won $3 million with it this year.”

With Sunday’s $756,000 earnings, he closed in on $4.5 million for the year and moved into second in the FedExCup standings, trailing only Tiger Woods. With Woods’ year done after knee surgery, Perry assumes the role as Cup favorite.

And he still is bypassing this week’s British Open in favor of the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

With Perry already qualified for the Open before Sunday’s win, Williamson earned a British Open berth available to the highest unqualified JDC finisher, besting Adamonis thanks to a low-round 2 under Sunday.

It was Williamson’s second playoff loss in two years, the veteran having fallen in one hole to Hunter Mahon at the Travelers Championship last season.

“For some reason in playoffs, I lose my edge,” Williamson said. “I don’t know what it is.”

Adamonis had been the field’s most consistent player, carding a 66 in each of the first three rounds. But he racked up three bogeys Sunday, one more than his three previous rounds combined and finished the Day 1 under.

On the playoff hole, he sprayed his ball way right off the tee. The 35-year-old Tour rookie cleared the trees lining the fairway on his approach, but the water hazard was waiting.

“I think my caddie wanted me to lay up, but I didn’t really want to lay up” Adamonis said. “I’m pretty good out of the trees.

“I’ve let quite a few rounds get out of control … I’m proud that I was able to hold it together.”

His 29 putts Sunday matched Perry’s total, but Adamonis didn’t have one more make left. His 102-foot par putt from off the front of the 18th green rolled past the hole, sealing Perry’s win.

Like the rest of the field, Perry battled the 20-plus mph gusts of wind. He hit just seven of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens.

But golf’s hottest player had a single three-putt through 37 holes to put himself in elite company. The only other player with three or more wins this season is Woods.

“I guess 47 is now the new 30,” Perry said. “Ever since I stuck with this putter, I’ve been comfortable with it. My speed is good. I didn’t worry about it.

“Man, I kept them tumbling in there.”

Andrew Petersen can be contacted at (563) 383-2288 or apetersen@qctimes.com.

Playoffs at the John Deere Classic

2008: Kenny Perry made par on the first playoff hole to defeat Jay Williamson and Brad Adamonis, both of whom hit their second shots into the water.

2004: Mark Hensby defeated John E. Morgan on the second hole of sudden death to claim his first PGA Tour win.

2000: In the first year the tournament was played at TPC Deere Run, it had to be extended to Monday by weather conditions with Michael Clark II finally defeating Kirk Triplett on the fourth playoff hole.

1999: It took five holes, but J.L. Lewis finally got the best of Mike Brisky in the final tournament held at Oakwood Country Club.

1990: Joey Sindelar parred the first hole of the sudden death playoff to defeat Willie Wood, whose chip shot hit a sprinkler head and bounded past the hole.

1983: Danny Edwards made a 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole while Morris Hatalsky missed a similar putt.

1981: In an historic five-man playoff, Dave Barr finally prevailed after eight holes over Woody Blackburn, Frank Conner, Dan Halldorson and Victor Regalado.