Kenny Perry Has Last Chuckle

We've received dozen of letters, con and mostly pro, on Kenny Perry's skipping the US Open and the Open Championship. Today at Oakland Hills, on the eve of his second major of the year, Perry cordially replied to critics, not a bit defensive about the fact that the topic had yet to be put to rest.

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You know what, it's just been a dream season for me. I had a goal to make that Ryder Cup team, and it all came true. It all fell into place. Then, all of a sudden, I solidified my spot to make the British, but I wasn't going to bail out on Milwaukee. I had eight top-10s there and a win, so now I went there; I finished sixth, so now I've got nine Top 10s and a win there. It's a great golf course I dearly love; it's been huge in my career, keeping me going. It means a lot to me, that little course, and the fans were terrific. They welcomed me with open arms, and they showed me a lot of support that week.

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Perry said he won more unforgettable moment during the Milwaukee event. Asked if he'd watched the British, Perry said:

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It was pretty funny. When I turned it on Pat Perez was in an interview. He had just shot 82. He said it was blowing sideways and sleet was hitting him. He said, "Kenny Perry's the smartes man in the world." I kind of chuckled then. But I still couldn't win the Claret Jug where I was at...."

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--Bob Carney