PGA Tour veteran Kenny Perry shrugged off the disappointment of a bogey on the 72nd hole to win the Phoenix Open in a sudden-death playoff with fellow American Charley Hoffman on Sunday. Both players bogeyed the first extra hole and parred the second before Perry coolly rolled in a 22-foot birdie putt at the third to clinch his 13th Tour title at the TPC Scottsdale. Hoffman, whose only victory on the lucrative US circuit came at the 2007 Bob Hope Classic, had to settle for second place after driving into a plugged lie in a fairway bunker and failing to reach the green in two. The duo had finished the 72 regulation holes on 14-under-par 270, overnight leader Perry closing with a two-under 69 and Hoffman carding a seven-birdie 67. “I played great in the middle of the round and got myself back into contention,” the long-haired Hoffman told reporters. “Unfortunately I didn't get it done. “Kenny gave me a few opportunities and I gave him a few opportunities but he happened to close the door.” Korean-American Kevin Na had a chance to join the playoff but missed an eight-foot birdie putt on the 18th green to settle for a 68 and third place at 13 under. On another hot but calm day at Scottsdale, Perry initially held off an early challenge by playing partner Scott Piercy before dealing with Hoffman's late charge. A stroke in front overnight, Perry duelled for the lead with Tour rookie Piercy over the front nine before reaching the turn in a three-way deadlock also involving Australian James Nitties. Piercy grabbed the outright lead for the first time since Saturday's third round when he coaxed in a 15-foot birdie putt at the par-four 10th. However, he immediately faltered with a bogey at the 11th, after finding the right rough off the tee and with his second shot, to drop back into a four-way tie at the top. Piercy also bogeyed the par-three 12th, where he missed the green off the tee, to slide out of contention. Hoffman, who had briefly held a four-way share of the lead before bogeying the 12th, birdied the par-five 13th after hitting a monster drive 340 yards to join the leaders at 13 under. Perry missed birdie chances from 10 feet at 13 and 14 and Hoffman edged a stroke in front at 14 under after getting up and down from a greenside bunker to birdie the 15th. But Perry finally drew level with a birdie on 15 where he reached the green in regulation and two-putted from 11 feet. Hoffman squandered a golden opportunity to regain the outright lead at the par-four 17th after another massive drive of 310 yards left him 80 feet from the cup. His eagle putt ran four feet past the hole but the birdie attempt caught the right lip and spun out. Perry, playing in the group behind Hoffman, also drove the 17th and safely two-putted to edge one ahead at 15 under. Moments later, Hoffman missed an eight-foot birdie chance at the last and the title appeared to be firmly within Perry's grasp. However, the Tour veteran pushed his tee at 18 into the right fairway bunker before leaving his second shot and his wedge approach well short of the hole to run up a bogey five.
