Perry Skipping U.S. Open Qualifier To Prep For Stanford St. Paul Championship

...and he's a Ryder Cup hopeful, reports Steve Elling.

Update on Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 07:03 PM by Geoff

Alex Miceli gets Perry to explain his thinking...if you can call it that.

“I don’t do 36 holes ever,” said Perry, citing one reason not to play the U.S. Open qualifier. “I will never do that again. It just wears me out. I’m not physically capable of being – it ruins too many weeks. It ruins my next week and it ruins trying to prepare that week for the tournament. It takes too much out of me.”

Perry made the decision months ago, which is the reason he has played six consecutive weeks and plans to play next week at Memphis, before taking a week off.

“I’ve only played (Torrey Pines) three times in my career so that kind of answers that question. I don’t like it,” Perry said. “Never have.”

Perry missed the cut in 1988 at Torrey Pines and withdrew in 1997. He finished tied for 67th earlier this season.

“I play good at Hartford the week after and at the Buick (Open),” Perry said about his plans after the U.S. Open. “I won Buick and I had chances to win at Hartford. Those are two great courses for me too. So that's kind of how I strategized the whole situation. As much as I would love to play in a U.S. Open, if it would have been anywhere else I would have been after it.”

Comments

[Peter Matteson]

Story Link: http://cbs.sportsline.com/golf/story/10849054/maxim

[Taylor]

KP's logic seems fine to me. Why beat the bejabbers out of your body when you know Torrey Pines is your nemisis and a good finish in Memphis is far more likely, albeit not the doubled points of the US Open.

[Seitz]

Meh. It's not like he's dragging his own bag. He knows how his body reacts, I guess, but I've played 36 dragging, played 36 with a caddy, and caddied 36 for someone else, and caddying was by far the most physically demanding. Walking 36 when someone else carries your clubs is pretty freaking easy (unless you've got an injury or disability). Granted, I'm a little younger than Perry.

Geoff, I await your post on the stunning events on 17 at Kampen today. Too bad the NCAAs aren't televised, because that finish was as compelling as anything I've seen on the PGA tour.

[JackM]

Porking out on RC points at a weak field event like Memphis makes good sense.

And he also probably would much rather spend a week on the RC team with all that hoopla and history (albeit a 19-9 loss to the undermanned Euros), than fight to make the cut at a course he hates. He has probably played in 20 Opens anyway.

[Tuna]

JackM,

There won't be no 19-9 RC loss this time, bet the farm.

Not that it much matters, the RC is little more than a TV show in my book.

I think Perry's reasoning is sound.

[JB]

"I play good at Hartford....."

Ah, that Western Kentucky education.

JB

[Hawkeye]

Newsflash to KP: The Ryder Cup involves 36 holes a day for two days. I don't know, but an American team featuring a 48-year-old player who didn't even bother trying to qualify for the national Open would NOT be an asset in the intimidation department.

[Phil_the_Author]

Hawkeye,

Then again, as the 48 year-old will be matched against guys who decided not to even SHOW UP for U.S. Open qualifying at a venue chosen for THEIR ease of play, he should have a distinct advantage...

[JackM]

"There won't be no 19-9 RC loss this time, bet the farm."

Tuna, I hope you're right but fear that the US will roll into singles needing the run the table...again.

Phyllis is good for 1-4, Tiger will go 2-3. Boo might squeeze a half point. The rest? Not much.

Face it everyone, our guys stink.

The broadcast is the single most disapointing thing about the RC. It's horrible. Dan Hicks yaks and yaks. They act like they will lose money at NBC if they show more than 5 shots an hour. YUK.

[bf31]

If Perry doesn't get into the top 8, I would hope Azinger won't pick him. I wouldn't want a guy on my team who wouldn't run through a brick wall for a chance to play for the national championship. You have to wonder if his attitude towards the Ryder Cup would be just as indifferent if it weren't in Kentucky.

[Scott]

I don't think Perry wants to win a major this year. Perhaps he realizes his game is not meant for Torrey Pines just as Tiger does not play at Westchester (oops, he might play at Ridgewood this year)

[Hawkeye]

Phil, the only player with a chance to make the team who decided not to enter US Open qualifying is Darren Clarke, and if he makes the team it will only be on previous merits. The equivalent of Perry's master plan would be a European player who decides not to bother qualifying for the British Open because he doesn't like Birkdale and lays all his eggs in the Welsh Open basket instead. Fat chance of that ever happening.

[Clark Micelli]

If only Perry had won at the AT&T -- he would have been fully exempt (under the 2 wins category). Then, it would have been interesting if he had not played at Torrey Pines.

[Tora Tanaka]

Why would anyone care what he does? He won't be missed.

[Eric Stratton]

Newsflash to KP: The Ryder Cup involves 36 holes a day for two days. I don't know, but an American team featuring a 48-year-old player who didn't even bother trying to qualify for the national Open would NOT be an asset in the intimidation department.
06.1.2008 | Hawkeye

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Among those who have decided to skip the chance to compete in the second major of the year are Darren Clarke... Clarke made his decision two weeks ago, saying: "My schedule is firmly based around Europe and my goal is to make the Ryder Cup team."

He and others feel that a trip out to California if they made it through the qualifier was not going to benefit them in the coming weeks.
=============================

now we're even...

ES

[Hawkeye]

Eric, check out my last post. If you think you're arguing with me, think again! Again, no European would ever bypass qualifying for the British Open, and that's the fairest comparison. Further, the "I can't play 36 in a day" qoute is akin to shooting yourself in the foot if you're hoping for a wild card to the Ryder Cup.

P.S. Even? Have I ever been up?

[thusgone]

it's not just kenny. golferspeak has a syntax and grammar all its own, and in it 'good' is both an adverb and an adjective. see almost any dan jenkins send-up of billy joe bob three-putt.