SILVIS, Ill. — He never wanted to be the star, the main attraction, but Kenny Perry will have no choice if this continues.
The guy who merely wanted to win enough to make the Ryder Cup team is now racking up victories at a rapid pace.
“I don’t want to live in a fishbowl,” he said. “I don’t want Tiger status.”
He’s got a ways to go to get there, but he is attracting more attention than ever before.
Perry beat Brad Adamonis and Jay Williamson in a one-hole playoff to win the John Deere Classic and escape with his third victory in five starts after bogeying the 18th hole Sunday.
Perry had a one-stroke lead at 17-under through 17, only to lose it thanks to some poor shots from the fringe on the final hole of regulation. He and Williamson were off the course when Adamonis, the PGA Tour’s oldest rookie at 35, missed an 18-foot putt for birdie that would have won it in regulation and given him his first victory.
The ball stopped 3 feet short and Adamonis was at 16-under-par 268 with the others. Perry, who was signing autographs, said he didn’t see the shot. He just heard the roar and knew he had to get back on the course.
While Adamonis and Williamson both hit approach shots into the pond on No. 18, Perry tapped in from 16 inches for par and the victory after his 24-footer stopped just short.
He picked the ball out of the cup and raised both arms, an ear-to-ear grin crossing his face.
He has reason to smile as he collected $756,000 with his 12th victory and is enjoying the best stretch of his career at an age — 47 — when players are getting ready for the Champions Tour.
“I told my dad I was going to make the PGA Tour and win a tournament,” he said. “My goal was never to be a superstar. I just wanted to make a living and support my kids.”
Perry (1-under 70), Adamonis (70) and Williamson (69) were one stroke ahead of Charlie Wi (69), Will MacKenzie (70) and Eric Axley (69) after 72 holes.
Creamer cruises
SYLVANIA, Ohio — Paula Creamer shot a 2-over 73 and did just enough to make a big lead stand, going wire-to-wire to win the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic by two strokes.
Creamer, who captured her seventh career win and her third this season, had worse scores every day after breaking the tournament record with an 11-under 60 in the first round. She followed that with a 65 and a 70 to finish at 16-under 268, two shots better than Nicole Castrale (64).
Footnotes.
Rick Rhoden birdied the last two holes to win a record seventh American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, edging four-time champ Dan Quinn in Stateline, Nev.
• Graeme McDowell won the Scottish Open in Luss with three straight birdies on the back nine for a 3-under 68 and a two-stroke win over James Kingston.
The Associated Press
