So Kenny Perry joins Tiger Woods as the only three-time winners of the Memorial Tournament and virtually secures a position on the Ryder Cup team. Perry, 47, has said for two years that his goal was to make the Ryder Cup team because the match against Europe will be played at Valhalla in his home state of Kentucky. Captain Paul Azinger said last week that he wants players who have won tournaments on the team. Perry said that got his attention. All credit is due to Perry for winning, but he also announced that he is going to pass up the U.S. Open to play in Memphis and Hartford in an attempt to rack up more Ryder Cup points. Two factors may have played into his decision. First, Perry is not exempt for the U.S. Open and would have to compete in a 36-hole qualifier. Second, Perry has never played well at Torrey Pines. But are those really valid reasons to skip the national championship, where by the way, Ryder Cup points double? I don’t think so. Can you imagine Memorial host Jack Nicklaus skipping a major tournament? I don’t think so. So good for Kenny Perry winning a good tournament and good for him for achieving his goal of making the Ryder Cup team. But he deserves criticism for not only skipping but not even trying to get into the U.S. Open.
Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Orville Moody.
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Once upon a time, in the middle-to-late '60's, Arnold Palmer had to go through qualifying to play in the U.S. Open. I remember the coverage in Sports Illustrated. It covered about a page and one half.
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