Deutsche Bank Championship Blue Notes -- July

Kenny Perry: 47 going on … FedExCup champion?

Tiger Woods. Phil Mickelson. Kenny Perry. Which name doesn’t belong with the others? Actually, all three belong as all are in the top three in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoff standings and each have multiple wins in PGA TOUR events in 2008.
 

It may have seemed like a trick question, but the 47-year-old Perry – who will be 48 by the time he likely tees it up at the Deutsche Bank Championship come Labor Day weekend at the Tournament Players Club Boston – hasn’t chalked up his late career resurgence to smoke and mirrors.

It is no illusion that old-fashioned work ethic is responsible for Perry becoming the hottest golfer on the PGA TOUR during the past two months, as well as his third-place standing in the FedExCup rankings (15,933 points) and No. 4 standing on the Tour’s money list ($3,575,350).

In what is shaping up to be a possible career year in golf, Perry won his second PGA TOUR title of 2008, and 11th overall, at the Buick Open on June 29, shooting a clutch, final-round 6-under-par 66 to finish at 19-under 269.

Since he finished second in a playoff at the AT&T Classic in mid-May, Perry won Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament on June 1, tied for sixth at the Travelers Championship June 22, and won the Buick Open the following week. Perry has played 18 events and is third on Tour in scoring average (69.56).

Perry’s quest to make September’s United States Ryder Cup team, which will face Europe at Valhalla Golf Club in Perry’s home state of Kentucky, has been one of his driving motivations this year. Perry, who played on the 2004 U.S. Ryder Cup team and was on the United States’ 1996, 2003 and 2005 Presidents Cup teams, is a member of the Western Kentucky University and Kentucky Golf halls of fame.

Perry has played the past two Deutsche Bank Championships, tying for 47th last year and tying for 30th in 2006. Wouldn’t a win at TPC Boston provide Perry with an important shot of confidence for the rest of September, which could include the Ryder Cup and a shot to win the 2008 FedExCup crown?

Stewart's Ship Will Never “Cink”

Though a “southern boy” at heart, Stewart Cink is beginning to feel right at home in New England.

Last month, Cink shot a final round 3-under-par 67 in the final round of the Travelers Championship at the TPC River Highlands in Connecticut to earn his fifth PGA TOUR victory and catapult his way to a top five in the FedExCup point standings. It was Cink’s second career victory at the TPC River Highlands course, having earned his first career win there in 1997 at the Canon Greater Hartford Open.

For the 35-year-old Cink, he is hoping his solid performance and good fortune continues in the New England region this Labor Day at the Deutsche Bank Championship. He’ll be making his third career appearance in the event and hoping for some improved fortune. Cink finished tied for 29th at the inaugural Championship in 2003 but last year failed to make the cut.

This time more will be on the line for Cink than the $1.26 million Deutsche Bank Championship first prize. Currently sitting in fourth in the FedExCup point race behind Woods, who is out for the season, Mickelson and Perry, Cink is a strong contender to jump into the top spot in the FedExCup when the PGA TOUR Playoffs conclude on September 28, something that would pay the Huntsville, Ala., native a cool $10 million.

If Cink were to win this year’s PGA TOUR Playoffs, some might try to deem the feat an upset. A closer look at recent stats, though, shows that’s hardly the case.

Cink has been one of the most consistent golfers on the PGA TOUR for the last half-decade. For the past five seasons, Cink has hovered between 10th and 25th on the Official World Golf Rankings and in that span posted 35 top ten finishes, including four third place, four runner-up and three PGA TOUR titles.

He’s also made his presence felt on the international stage, representing the United States on each of the last three Ryder Cup teams and three of the last four President’s Cup squads.

This year, though, has been a banner year by all accounts. In addition to his win in Hartford, Cink finished runner up to Woods at the 2008 Accenture World Match Play Championship in addition to a second place finish at the PODS Championship and three-place finishes at the Buick Invitational and The Masters.

Cink has risen to a career-high fifth in the World Golf Rankings and has already earned more than $3.7 million.

With momentum on his side, you have to consider Cink one of the favorites to hoist the Championship trophy this Labor Day at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Fans can win Red Sox season tickets with Birdies for Charity program

Golf fans seeking an opportunity to win amazing prizes like Red Sox season tickets, a trip to Tiger Jam in Las Vegas and many more need look no further than the Deutsche Bank Championship’s Birdies for Charity Program. All it takes is one pledge to the program and you’re in the running.

The interactive program is among the most popular of any charitable initiative on the PGA TOUR. Fans pledge either a solid dollar amount or a specific amount per birdie made during the four competitive rounds of the Championship. With every pledge, fans also get to guess the number of birdies that will be made during the tournament, and the person who guesses the exact amount wins the grand prize of Red Sox season tickets. Last year, there were 1,310 birdies made.

Another aspect that attracts fans to the Birdies for Charity program is its local connections. In addition to the Tiger Woods Learning Center, the program supports 34 New England charities. The participating charities are connected through their mission for empowering and educating youth and families, reaching out into many different communities through their own unique programming.

The Birdies for Charity program has had a tremendously positive impact on the charities it benefits. In the program’s first year, it raised $35,000. Last year, that figure jumped to $300,000. This year, Birdies for Charity is on pace to set a new high for pledges, and is seeking the support of local golf fans to reach that goal. To support the Birdies for Charity program now, fans can go to www.dbchampionship.com, go to “Charity” on the menu across the top of the page and select “Birdies for Charity.”

Blue Notables

Keep an eye on these guys

While the gallery favorite at this year’s Deutsche Bank Championship will likely be defending champion Mickelson, there will be plenty of others to watch. Anthony Kim, Geoff Ogilvy, Brandt Snedeker and Boo Weekley are all making noise on the PGA TOUR this season.

Kim, featured in the May edition of Blue Notes, captured his second victory this season last weekend when he fired an impressive 5-under-par 65 in Sunday’s final round to capture the AT&T National in Maryland. Kim has four top-ten PGA TOUR finishes this season.

Ogilvy has six top-10s, including a win at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship and a second-place finish at the Shell Houston Open. The 2006 U.S. Open champion is seventh on the money list and eighth in FedEx Cup points.

Snedeker continues his torrid season from a year ago that earned him more than $2.8 million in earning, his first PGA TOUR title and six top-ten finishes. This season, Snedeker has finished in the top ten five times including and eight-place finish at the U.S. Open and a season-best third place finish at this year’s Masters.

Weekley is ranked 12th on the money list, 11th in FedEx Cup points and has posted five top-10 finishes this year. He successfully defended his title at the Verizon Heritage this year to give him his second Tour win.

One newcomer to watch is Andres Romero, the 27-year-old from Argentina who joined the PGA TOUR in 2008, based on finishing in the top 125 in non-Tour member earnings in 2007. He used a successful summer in 2007 to make a name for himself, beginning at the British Open, where he finished third. He led by two strokes after a birdie at the 16th hole on Sunday, but made double bogey at the 17th and bogey at the 18th to finish one stroke out of the Garcia-Padraig Harrington playoff. This year, Romero collected his first PGA TOUR title in his 12th start with a win at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, where he carded rounds of 73-69-65-68—275 to claim a one-shot victory over Peter Lonard. He tied for eighth at The Masters and tied for 36th at the U.S. Open.

Championship features plenty of excitement around TPC Boston
While the biggest crowds will come out to watch stars like Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Adam Scott play Friday-Monday, there will be plenty more reasons for excitement surrounding the Deutsche Bank Championship. On Tuesday, Aug. 26, fans can come out to TPC Boston for the Red Sox Legends & Friends Pro-Am, in which spectators will see some of their favorite Boston sports stars of past & present tee it up while raising money for the Red Sox Foundation. Wednesday, Aug. 27 includes professional practice rounds and a kids’ exhibition featuring Pinnacle Distance Team members Jason Zuback and Eric Lastowka. And on Thursday, Aug. 28, fans can check out the Championship Pro-Am and get up close and personal with the players before they put on their game faces for Friday.

MasterCard, Dunkin’ Give Out Priceless Perks

All fans who purchased tickets to the Deutsche Bank Championship using their MasterCard card during a set period this spring were placed into a drawing to win some great prizes, and five lucky fans came away as big winners. Tim Hurley of Framingham, Mass., was the grand prize winner and took home a “Priceless Red Sox Experience,” which included four Green Monster tickets for a Sept. 10 Red Sox game vs. Tampa Bay, dinner in the State Street Pavilion, a pre-game tour of Fenway Park and a $200 MasterCard gift card. Four other contestants each won a pair of tickets to a Red Sox game in September – Matthew Shanahan of Winchester, Mass.; Robert Myers of Scarborough, Maine; Steve Sousa of Brockton, Mass.; and Claire Stanton of Duxbury, Mass. In a separate promotion, the first 5,000 fans who purchased tickets to the 2008 Championship received free personalized $10 Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards.