Perry rolls to another major success with U.S. Senior Open
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July 14, 2013 6:12 PM
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Kenny Perry of the U.S. watches his tee shot on the first hole during the third round of the Memorial …
(Reuters) - Kenny Perry fired a 63 to complete a recordcomeback victory in the U.S. Senior Open championship, winning by five strokes in Omaha, Nebraska, for his second successive senior major title.
Perry, who two weeks ago won the Senior Players Championship, was 10 behind pace-setter Michael Allen at the halfway mark but romped to victory by shooting a 64 in the third round and finishing with a seven-under round atOmaha Country Club.
The previous biggest comeback after 36 holes in a senior major was seven strokes.
"That was by far probably the greatest round of golf I ever played," Perry, a 14-time winner on the PGA Tour, said in a TV interview after his round.
"It all came together today."
Finishing second was fellow American Fred Funk, who shot a final-round 68 for eight-under-par 272.
Another stroke back were Rocco Mediate (66) and Corey Pavin (67) on 273, with Allen a further shot behind after registering a two-over 72 on Sunday.
Perry began the final round two shots behind Allen, but back-to-back birdies from the second hole set the tone for his brilliant finish.
After a bogey at the fifth, Perry made four birdies in a row to make the turn at five-under 30, needing only 10 putts as he took command of the championship.
Perry twice came agonizingly close to winning a major, finishing second at the 1996 PGA Championship and at the 2009 Masters, but never broke through.
In winning the U.S. Senior Open, the 52-year-old became the 11th player ever to win back-to-back senior majors.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Gene Cherry)
