Perry shoots for second straight title

DUBLIN, Ohio -- A grinder throughout his career, Kenny Perry is starting to make golf look awfully easy.

One week after winning Colonial with a record score, Perry surged into the lead Friday at the Memorial with a 4-under 68, capped by a birdie on the final hole that showed just how much everything is falling his way.

From the back of the green, 30 feet away and pinched between the fringe and first cut of rough, Perry used the belly of his sand wedge to get the ball rolling down the slick slope toward the hole. Halfway to the cup, he turned to the crowd, knowing the outcome.

"It was prefect," said Perry, who was at 11-under 133. "I just turned around to the fans and listened as it went in. They all hollered, so I knew it went in."

Retief Goosen and Lee Janzen, a pair of U.S. Open champions, each had a 67 and were one stroke behind.

Tiger Woods, playing on the PGA Tour for the first time since the Masters, looked as though he might join the leaders when he hit a 4-iron into the wind to a flag tucked behind a bunker that set up a short eagle putt on No. 15.

It all came apart on the 18th, when he pulled his drive so badly that it hit a fan in the leg. He hit his approach over the green and was lucky his chip ran only 20 feet past the hole. He made bogey for a 71, and was five strokes behind.

Vijay Singh proved he belongs at Memorial. The '98 winner had a 69 and was at 8-under 136, along with B.C. Open champion Spike McRoy (68).

Singh was criticized for his comments about Annika Sorenstam playing Colonial -- "I hope she misses the cut" -- and declined to speak to reporters for the second straight day.

Perry had the 36-hole lead last week at Colonial, then shot 61 in the third round and cruised to a six-stroke victory at 19-under. He figured he would be known as the guy who won the PGA Tour event Sorenstam played, "but at least I'll be remembered for something."

Here's something else -- he might be the hottest player in golf.

"He's the guy to watch this weekend," Singh later said through a PGA Tour official.

There was nothing special about Perry's round. He holed a few 15-foot birdie putts, got up-and-down from the bunker for birdie on the par-5 15th and then put on a show with his belly wedge on the 18th.

Perry has won four times in his career, including the '91 Memorial, but never more than one tournament a year.

"I hope I stay asleep and play two more good rounds," he said. "It's hard to believe. Why am I pushing the right buttons right now at the right time? I don't know. I've got all the bounces going my way. My game is in pretty good order."

Charles Howell III was 10 strokes worse than his opening round, a 2-over 74 that left him at 6-under 138 with Woods and defending champion Jim Furyk.

Perry is playing in a different league, and this time the fans didn't wait until the weekend to take notice -- not that it mattered to him.

"That's been the story of my life," he said. "I've come out here, done my deal, and I've flown under the radar. I've always said I was a good golfer. I was never a superstar. I'm just a simple guy, I had a simple life and it doesn't take a lot to make me happy."

LPGA

Annika Sorenstam shot a 10-under 62 to take a share of the lead with Rosie Jones in the first round of the Kellogg-Keebler Classic.The 62 set a course record, and also matched the lowest score in relation to par this year on the LPGA Tour.

Angela Stanford and Lorie Kane were tied for third with 65s.

Champions Tour

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jim Ahern birdied the 18th hole to cap an 8-under 64 and take the lead in the first round of the Champions' Tour Music City Championship.

Doug Tewell had a 65 on the Springhouse Golf Club course, while Tom Jenkins, J.C. Snead, Rodger Davis, Pat McDonald and Vicente Fernandez were all at 5-under.

NCAA

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Top-ranked Clemson held on to beat host Oklahoma State by two strokes for its first NCAA title.

Playing in 95-degree weather, Clemson shot a 15-over 303 and wound up 39-over for the four rounds. Oklahoma State, which began the day one shot behind Clemson, shot 304 and wound up 41-over.

UCLA was third at 45-over, while Wake Forest and Florida tied for fourth at plus-46.

The individual winner was Arizona State freshman Alejandro Canizares, whose 3-under 69 left him at 1-under 287, two shots ahead of Auburn's Lee Williams, the leader after each of the first three days.

-- From wire reports