For Perry it's better to defend late than never  PGATOUR.com Senior Correspondent ORLANDO -- Kenny Perry is back to defend his Bay Hill Invitational title. He just happens to be one year late, and the tournament he won in 2005 is now known as the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard. "I feel like I really am defending my title. The last time I was here, I left the winner," Perry says with a grin. "Of course, that was two years ago, but two years goes by pretty quickly. It doesn't seem like two years. The memories are still pretty strong."  It's a year late, but Kenny Perry is back to defend at Bay Hill. (Feldman/WireImage)
Twenty four months ago, Perry put together four solid rounds on the Champion Course at Bay Hill Club & Lodge to post a two-stroke victory over Vijay Singh and Graeme McDowell. Perry opened with a 2-under-par 70 and followed with a 68 to take over first place, which he held throughout the rest of the tournament. His closing 70 and 276 total gave him his eighth PGA TOUR title. He went on to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial later in the year. But he didn't make it back to Bay Hill in 2006. In fact, one year ago Tuesday Perry was on an operating table undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The injury and subsequent operation prevented him from finding the kind of consistency the Kentucky native has been used to since he joined the TOUR in 1987. His best finish was a tie for 11th at the Buick Open, marking the first time he had failed to post a top-10 finish. He ended up a career-low 104th on the money list. "Last year wasn't a lot of fun. I never felt comfortable," the 46-year-old Perry says. But his game is finally congealing at an opportune time. A final-round 67 at the PODS Championship elevated him to a tie for 19th, and now he returns to a layout that is playing very much like it did two years ago when he beat one of the year's best fields. The rough is high -- at least 4 inches -- and the premium this week is on hitting fairways and greens. "It seems a lot like when I won here. The rough was brutal then, too," Perry says. "I think I led the field in hitting fairways and greens (he did) and I don't think I had a three-putt all week (he didn't). I was very much in control of what I was doing." He's getting closer to that feeling again. He is especially heartened by his driving. Perry is seventh in driving distance this year, averaging 302.4 yards -- nearly 10 yards farther than his average from a year ago. His accuracy has fallen off this year, but he thinks he has the problem solved, having the lie of his TaylorMade SuperQuad driver flattened two degrees. But what about that increased driving distance? "I'm hitting it longer than ever; it must be they did something ... some extra bionic parts," Perry says with a laugh. "Actually, I've been working very hard. I'm focused. I have some pretty specific goals." A three-time member of the U.S. Presidents Cup team, he'd dearly love to add the Ryder Cup to his resume -- especially considering that the 2008 matches are slated for Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. Perry, who lives in Franklin, Ky., about two hours south of Louisville, nearly won the 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla, falling to Mark Brooks in a playoff. "I want to be on his team in the worst way," Perry says, pointing to Paul Azinger, the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, hitting balls on the range at Bay Hill Club. "I want to play in front of my home crowd. I can't think of anything better. It would be the ultimate, I think." Perry won't earn any points this week towards a Ryder Cup berth -- the new qualification system doesn't kick in until next year, although points are available at the 2007 major championships -- but he definitely wants to start building his resume, one he can burnish with another Presidents Cup berth this fall. Odds are pretty good that he'll do well. Eight of his nine PGA TOUR titles have come in odd-numbered years. He's won at least one tournament every other year dating back to 2001. The timing is right. More importantly, Perry feels all right. "I feel very good, I'm healthy, and that's a big key," he says. "I'm doing OK for an old guy. I still have things I want to do. Playing for my country is right up there." |
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