MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, 15 July 2003 — Overnight leader Kenny Perry carded a 66 for the second day running to win the Greater Milwaukee Open by one stroke on Sunday.
Perry, who recently won both the Colonial and the Memorial Tournament in consecutive weeks, finished with an 12-under 268 to edge Australia’s Steve Allan and Heath Slocum, who also carded rounds of 66 on Sunday for 269.
Brett Quigley managed a final round 65 to take fourth place on 270, two strokes ahead of a group of five players — Chris Smith, Dennis Paulson, Billy Mayfair, Jeff Gallagher and Brenden Pappas of South Africa.
Perry recovered from a three-stroke deficit on the back nine of the Brown Deer Park course to shoot his way to a third win in his last four starts, having finished third in the US Open. “I wanted to make it interesting. I wanted to see what it was like coming from behind,” Perry joked after a seventh victory in his PGA Tour career. Perry began the final round with a one-stroke lead and led by a stroke over Allan after a birdie at the par-three 11th.
However, Perry then bogeyed the par-four 12th to fall back into a tie with Allan at 11-under. Allan, whose previous best finish on the PGA Tour was a tie for 14th at the 2002 Valero Texas Open, birdied the par-three 14th to reach 12 under. Minutes later, Perry three-putted on the 13th green for a double bogey and trailed Allan by three strokes.
However, the day swung Perry’s way when Allan, playing in the threesome ahead of Perry, failed to take advantage of birdie opportunities on two par-fives in the last four holes and then bogeyed the 17th.
Perry birdied three of the final four holes, including both par-fives, the last being the 18th where he hit a delicate up-and-down shot from just behind the green in gnarly rough and then made a three-foot uphill putt to win. Allan had been warming up on the practice range for a potential playoff, but saw Perry’s play around the 18th green.
Daniel Edges Inkster to End
Drought at Canadian Open
In Vancouver, Canada, Beth Daniel ended an eight-year victory drought on Sunday as she birdied the last two holes to overtake Juli Inkster and win the $1.3 million Canadian Women’s Open.
“Well, it’s been a while,” Daniel said. “I think you go through a spell that long and you kind of start wondering, number one, if you’re ever going to win again, and number two, maybe you’re too old to be out here.
“But I always had confidence in myself. I always felt like I was going to win again.”
Seven weeks ago, Daniel played alongside fellow LPGA Hall of Famer Inkster and watched her fire a final-round 62 to win the Corning Classic for her 29th career title. Fourteen of those wins have come since Daniel’s most recent victory in the 1995 PING Welch’s Championship.
It appeared as if Daniel was going to watch Inkster win another title. At the 12th hole, Daniel gave away the lead as she bogeyed and Inkster birdied.
But Daniel drained birdies at the 17th and 18th holes to complete a 68 that edged Inkster by one stroke — and made history.
With her four-round total of 13-under 275, Daniel became the oldest winner on the LPGA Tour at 46 years, eight months, 29 days. It was her 33rd career title.
