By LARRY LAGE, AP
Posted: 3:15 am
June 30, 2008
GRAND BLANC, Mich. - Kenny Perry joined a short list of multiple champions at the 50th Buick Open.
Perry shot a 6-under 66 yesterday to finish at 19-under 269, one shot better than Woody Austin, who blew the tournament and $900,000 by bogeying the last two holes, and Bubba Watson, who missed a 12-footer on the final green.
Vijay Singh has three victories at Warwick Hills. Tiger Woods, Julius Boros, Tony Lema and now Perry have won twice.
Perry, who won in 2001 at Warwick Hills, has 11 victories on the PGA Tour, including the Memorial earlier this month. After winning the Memorial, he stuck with his plan to not enter a U.S. Open qualifier.
Austin and Watson shot 68s. Bob Tway (65), Ken Duke (67) and Matt Jones (67) finished another stroke behind at 17 under. Perry had a bogey-eagle-bogey-birdie stretch that dropped him from the lead and pulled him back into a tie with Austin at the 16th.
Austin moved ahead by curling a 9-footer in at the 16th, then fell back into a tie by missing a 13-foot putt for par on the next hole. Perry missed a 34-footer for birdie on the 18th hole, giving Austin a chance to go back atop the leaderboard in the next group.
Austin, though, left himself with a 63-foot putt and he ran it past the hole. Then, he missed an 18-footer that gave Perry the lead.
