Chris

Perry

PGA.com has conflicting information as Perry was removed from the published field but he remains included in the posted tee times. (Tom Watson, who also withdrew, also remains in the tee times.) However, the news from the resource in southwest Michigan is the first independent organization to share Perry’s withdrawal. We’ll keep the 50-year-old on our Injury Report until he returns to action. He hasn’t played competitively anywhere since 2006.

He doesn’t resonate on the stage like the old days, so it’s not surprising that there wasn’t news to indicate that he pulled out. So, at this point, we’ll remove him from our Injury Report. This is likely the last you’ll read about him in a while.

The 51-year-old hasn’t teed it up in a PGA TOUR-sanctioned event since 2006 due to injuries in his left hand, wrist and elbow. He was scheduled to compete in last year’s Senior PGA but withdrew. Due to his age and hiatus, even if he doesn’t return to action at Bellerive next week, we’ll eventually remove him from our Injury Report.

Former Kent State golfer and recent assistant at Oklahoma State, Donnie Darr, was awarded the job, which opened when Perry’s coach at OSU, Jim Brown, stepped down this spring after 36 years. Perry was a three-time All-American for the Buckeyes in the early 1980s. Without confirmation from Perry, now 47, this could mean that his touring days are over. He’s been sidelined with hand, wrist and elbow injuries full-time since 2002, having gone 0-for-13 on the PGA Tour from 2002-2006. Officially, he has a Major Medical extension of 18 starts to earn $515,445.

He was expected to give it a go this year but hasn’t played since the now-defunct B.C. Open in July 2006. Since 2002, Perry has entered just 13 events, missing the cut in all of them. He still has status via a Major Medical extension, giving him 18 events to earn $515,445 but his elbow, wrist and hand injuries (and elbow surgery in 2004) have pushed that extension into its sixth season. Perry is now 46 years of age.

Perry earned his way into this field via his victory at the event in 1994. He hasn’t played anywhere in over two years due to several injuries and will likely withdraw before the event begins.

Perry teased us for a few days, didn’t he? In fact, he lasted long enough to get a tee time assigned. Meanwhile, former PGA Tour winner, Andre Stolz, Tuesday qualified for this event. After returning to competition in his native Australia this summer, Stolz is embarking on a U.S. comeback. The Utah Championship will be his first PGA Tour-sanctioned event since the 2005 St. Jude. Any prize money he earns this week will contribute towards his ranking in the Past Champion category for 2009.