CARY, N.C. — After nearly withdrawing following his sister’s death Saturday night, Kenny Perry won the SAS Championship on Sunday for his first Champions Tour title.
Kay Perry died Saturday night after a long fight with breast cancer. She died two years to the day after the death of their mother, Mildred Perry, also to cancer.
“When I heard the news last night, it was a long night,” Perry said. “I didn’t sleep a lot, thought about just getting on a plane and heading home.
“But Dad was great. He called me, he said, ‘Son, you just need to go out there and represent Kay today.’ “
He did, making a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 17th en route to a 2-under-par 70 and a one-stroke victory over Jeff Sluman and John Huston.
“I was very calm all day. I had no nerves,” Perry said. “Normally, I’m a little jumpy, a little jittery, tense. Today, I was just — I felt like I was on a low. I was really down. I was kind of depressed, and my swing was in rhythm. It wasn’t fast, and I had great control of the golf ball.”
The 51-year-old Perry, a 14-time winner on the PGA Tour winner, had an 11-under 205 total.
The Associated Press
