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Sports pictures of the year
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Perry keeps cool for third win
CHICAGO (Reuters) - American Kenny Perry won a three-way play-off to win the John Deere Classic at Silvis, Illinois Sunday and claim his third win in his last five PGA events.
Perry went into the final hole with a one-shot lead but made a hash of a chip to the green and bogeyed the 18th to leave him in a three-way play-off with Brad Adamonis and Jay Williamson.
The 47-year-old Perry kept his cool in the play-off, making a par while his two rivals found water and bogeyed.
"I felt like I gave it away and they gave it back to me. But I fought hard, produced key shots at the right time. That was a great win for me," said Perry.
Williamson's finish was enough to earn him an invitation to next week's British Open.
Organizers of the John Deere Classic, in order to attract the best possible field, had organized on a chartered plane to take players directly to Manchester to prepare for the Open.
Perry has already decided not to play the tournament, which starts at Royal Birkdale on Thursday and confirmed after Sunday's play he would not change his mind and would play instead in the Milwaukee Championship next week.
Perry, who focused his entire season on the Ryder Cup and was reluctant to change plans, has now risen to second in the FedEx Cup standings after adding to his victories at the Memorial Tournament and the Buick Open.
Perry's victory equals his previous best season, in 2003 when he also picked up three tournament wins.
"It's just my time. I don't why it is happening but things are just going my way," said Perry.
The win should have come inside regular play but with victory in sight on the 18th, he chipped right over the green to the back verge. Forced to chip again he fell short with a chunky shot and ended up bogeying the par four hole.
In the playoff, the water to the left of the green on 18 proved to be the downfall of first Adamonis, who drove from the trees into the lake with his second shot and then Williamson, who from a decent fairway position hooked into the water.
(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
