Golfweek - Golf News Magazine

By ALEX MICELI
Golfweek Correspondent

DUBLIN, Ohio – Why is Kenny Perry not playing in the U.S. Open?

It seems to be the dominant question at Memorial as the 47-year-old Kentuckian tries to win his 10th PGA Tour title.


Perry – who has made no secret of his desire to earn a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team that will attempt to regain the chalice later this summer near his home at Valhalla – made a calculated decision to shun the national championship with its double Ryder Cup points.

Instead, he will focus on events where he has had more success.

“I don’t do 36 holes ever,” said Perry, citing one reason not to play the U.S. Open qualifier. “I will never do that again. It just wears me out. I’m not physically capable of being – it ruins too many weeks. It ruins my next week and it ruins trying to prepare that week for the tournament. It takes too much out of me.”

Perry made the decision months ago, which is the reason he has played six consecutive weeks and plans to play next week at Memphis, before taking a week off.

“I’ve only played (Torrey Pines) three times in my career so that kind of answers that question. I don’t like it,” Perry said. “Never have.”

Perry missed the cut in 1988 at Torrey Pines and withdrew in 1997. He finished tied for 67th earlier this season.

“I play good at Hartford the week after and at the Buick (Open),” Perry said about his plans after the U.S. Open. “I won Buick and I had chances to win at Hartford. Those are two great courses for me too. So that's kind of how I strategized the whole situation. As much as I would love to play in a U.S. Open, if it would have been anywhere else I would have been after it.”

Over the last five weeks Perry has moved from 43rd on the Ryder Cup points list to 17th and with a win would move into fifth on the Ryder Cup list with 10 weeks left before the top eight points earners land an automatic spot on the team.

If not already exempt, Perry plans to try and qualify for the British Open. It's only an 18-hole qualifier.


Posted: 5/31/2008

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