Strong finish keeps Perry in touch with leader MacKenzie at John Deere

7/12/2008

Kenny Perry again sizzled following a sluggish start and was two strokes off the lead after the second round of the John Deere Classic on Friday.

Playing as well as anyone on the PGA Tour the past two months, the 47-year-old Perry birdied six of his final 10 holes while shooting 5-under 66.

That put him in a three-way tie for second place at 11-under 131 with first-round co-leader Charlie Wi (67) and Eric Axley (66).

The strong finish wasn't enough to move past Will MacKenzie (64), who jumped to the top of the leaderboard earlier in the day and is 13 under, but it kept Perry in contention for his third victory in five starts.

One stroke off the lead when the day began, Perry got going on the eighth hole after taking a drop following his tee shot. He hit a 23-footer from the fringe to save par and stay even for the round. That swing in momentum led to birdies on the next three holes and kept him in contention.

His approach from 183 yards on the par-4 ninth landed two feet from the pin, and another good approach on the 10th settled 12 feet from the hole.
He buried that putt, then hit a 7-footer on the par-4 11th to go 9-under.

Perry was at 12-under, but instead of moving into a tie with MacKenzie, he finished with a bogey on 18 after his chip shot out of a bunker stopped 50 feet beyond the hole.

That finish aside, Perry has been on the go for about two months. The run started with a playoff loss at the AT&T Classic in May and continued with wins at the Memorial and Buick Open last month.

That's because MacKenzie, who was tied with Perry through the first round, was well on his way to the top of the leaderboard -- a rare spot for someone seeking his second Tour victory.

MacKenzie had made just four cuts in 12 events and missed two months because of a knee injury. His body was a mess, his game was a mess and his mind was a mess so he also saw a sports psychologist. The problems on the course aside, life has been good for him lately.

Leaderboard – Round 2:

1. Will MacKenzie             USA  65 64 129 -13
2. Kenny Perry                 USA  65 66 131 -11
    Eric Axley                     USA  65 66 131 -11
    Charlie Wi                   KOR  64 67 131 -11
5. Brad Adamonis             USA  66 66 132 -10
6. Brian Davis                   ENG  67 66 133 - 9
7. Chad Campbell             USA  67 67 134 - 8
    Harrison Frazar             USA  69 65 134 - 8
    Scott Sterling                USA  67 67 134 - 8
    Jeff Gove                     USA  66 68 134 - 8
    Patrick Sheehan            USA  66 68 134 - 8

Source: AP, PGA Tour