Craig Perks
Craig William Perks (born 6 January 1967) is a professional golfer from New Zealand who won the 2002 Players Championship.
| Craig Perks | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Craig William Perks |
| Born | 6 January 1967 Palmerston North, New Zealand |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st) |
| Nationality |  New Zealand |
| Career | |
| College | Southwestern Louisiana, Oklahoma |
| Turned professional | 1993 |
| Retired | 2007 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Nike Tour |
| Professional wins | 1 |
| Highest ranking | 61 (12 May 2002)[1] |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 1 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | CUT: 2002, 2003, 2004 |
| PGA Championship | T29: 2002 |
| U.S. Open | CUT: 2002 |
| The Open Championship | T50: 2002 |
Early life and amateur career
Born and raised in Palmerston North, New Zealand, Perks played college golf in the United States at the University of Oklahoma in Norman and the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Professional career
Perks turned professional in 1993 and played on the second tier Nike Tour for several seasons. He became a member of the PGA Tour after a tie for 35th in the 1999 Qualifying School earned him his tour card for the 2000 season.
At age 35 in 2002, Perks unexpectedly won The Players Championship, one of the most prestigious tournaments on the PGA Tour. In the final pairing, he played the final three holes in only nine shots, three under par, with only one putt. Perks chipped in for eagle, sank a 25-foot (7.5 m) birdie putt on the Island Green, then chipped in for par to win by two strokes. He was even par 72 for the final round, but only had two pars in the last fourteen holes.[2][3][4] Starting the year at 256 in the world rankings, Perks climbed from 203 to 64 with the win,[5][6] and was named the New Zealand Sportsman of the Year for 2002. It granted a five-year exemption on tour, but was his only win in 202 starts.
After making only one cut on the PGA Tour during 2006 and 2007, he announced his retirement in November 2007,[7] and became a commentator on the Golf Channel.
Professional wins (1)
PGA Tour wins (1)
| Legend |
| Players Championships (1) |
| Other PGA Tour (0) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 Mar 2002 | The Players Championship | 71-68-69-72=280 | −8 | 2 strokes |  Stephen Ames |
Playoff record
PGA Tour of Australasia playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2000 | Crown Lager New Zealand Open | Michael Campbell |
Lost to eagle on second extra hole |
Nike Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996 | Nike Carolina Classic | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Glen Hnatiuk |
Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | CUT | CUT |
| U.S. Open | CUT | ||
| The Open Championship | T50 | CUT | CUT |
| PGA Championship | T29 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
The Players Championship
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Players Championship | 1 shot deficit | −8 (71-68-69-72=280) | 2 strokes | Stephen Ames |
Results timeline
| Tournament | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | 1 | T17 | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Results in World Golf Championships
| Tournament | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Match Play | |
| Championship | 61 |
| Invitational | T42 |
"T" = Tied
References
- "Week 19 2002 Ending 12 May 2002" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
- Van Sickle, Gary (1 April 2002). "Pitched battle". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- "Drama marks Perks' first title run". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. 25 March 2002. p. 2E.
- "Players Championship top finishers' scorecards". ESPN. 24 March 2002. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
- "A million Perks for TPC champ". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. 25 March 2002. p. 1C.
- "2002: Week 12" (PDF). Official World Golf Rankings. 24 March 2002. Retrieved 30 April 2002.
- "Former Players Championship winner Perks retires". PGA Tour. 25 November 2007. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007.
External links
- Craig Perks at the PGA Tour official site
- Craig Perks at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cameron Brown |
New Zealand's Sportsman of the Year 2002 |
Succeeded by Ben Fouhy |