Kenny Perry Hopes To Avoid Rough Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Title Defense

Kenny Perry came to the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS with high hopes – trying to successfully defend a victory for the first time ever.

“I won 14 times on the regular tour and really didn’t do much on my defenses when I came back,” Perry said. “You always will have the memory of the win and have good feelings and thoughts. I look forward to getting out there and defending my title.”

Starting Thursday the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS, the third of five majors on the Champions Tour will tee off at Fox Chapel Golf Club for a third time.

The course has received rave reviews in the past but this is the last tournament to be played in Pittsburgh until the 2016 US Open at Oakmont Country Club. David Frost described the disappointment in not coming back for at least the next two seasons.

“It’s a great golf course to come and play, the players have looked forward to coming back since it’s such a classic course,” Frost said. “It’s a shame because we just got used to the feeling of the golf course. It’s not always the greatest when you have to get to know a course, but the memories here have been great towards us.”

Want to know how challenging the course is? Perry hit his tee shot on the second hole in the rough and failed to reach the green in two shots three consecutive times. He immediately turned to his caddie Fred Sanders and said that he never wanted to hit that shot again. Perry said that of the three years of the tournament, this is the most penal the rough has been.

“If you miss the fairway here, you’re chipping out,” said Perry. “You’re not getting on the green. At the US Open we were able to get it on the green with that scruffy stuff and last week in Chicago we could get it on the green. Whoever drives it well this week is going to win because I think it sets up the whole golf course.”

Early projections show a mostly dry tournament with a chance for thunderstorms Wednesday. Both the players and staff at Fox Chapel Golf Club agree that the course is best the way it is.

Perry won with a score of 19 under par the third lowest score in tournament history after shooting 63, 63 and 64 in the final three rounds. Perry admitted that will not happen this season and Roger Chapman has a different number in mind.

“I’d be happy with 15 under since its four rounds,” Chapman said. “Four 67’s I’d be quite happy with that.”

My pick to win: Probably one of the more popular picks I’m going to go with Bernhard Langer. Until the Encompass Championship last week, Langer was in the top 10 every tournament.

“I knew I was playing very consistent, very top golf week after week after week,” Langer said. “I personally didn’t know how many weeks it was but every time I do the media thing I’m made aware of it. So, yeah, it was a fun stretch of tournaments. It just showed, you know, how consistently well I played for almost a full year now.”

Langer earned a top 10 last season at Fox Chapel and is a fan of the course. He is due for a major win and I believe he gets it here.

Of Note: Craig Stadler, Steve Elkington and Don Pooley all withdrew and have been replaced by Peter Fowler, Gene Jones and Barry Lane. This tournament marks Jay Haas’ 1,000th career start.

Notable pairings include Kenny Perry, Nick Price and Bernhard Langer together, Colin Montgomerie, Jay Haas and Fred Funk and Rocco Mediate paired with Tom Lehman and Tom Kite.

Tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster and at the site and start at $25 [children 18 and under are free and all military can get in for free]. Parking will be free at The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills with shuttles taking fans to the course.

On Tuesday the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS signified the return of the Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS by lighting the downtown Pittsburgh Highmark Building Champions Tour red and the Allegheny County Courthouse Constellation blue and white.

Following his round Thursday, Mark Calcavecchia will throw out the first pitch at the Pittsburgh Pirates game.