Kenny Perry joined Tiger Woods as the only three-time winners of the Memorial on Sunday, taking a big step toward joining the No. 1 player in the world on the US Ryder Cup team this autumn. With every contender in full retreat on the back nine, the 47-year-old Perry surged ahead with pars and one timely birdie, coasting home to a 3-under 69 and a two-shot victory that could not have come at a better time. He became the oldest winner at the tournament Jack Nicklaus built, and as he walked off the green to a warm handshake from the tournament host, Perry soon was surrounded by his wife and three children. It was the first time in his two decades on the US PGA Tour all of them had been at a tournament he won. Bigger still was his answer to US captain Paul Azinger's statement earlier in the week, that anyone making his Ryder Cup team would almost certainly have to win on tour this year. Perry, who squandered two chances in the previous three weeks, delivered his best golf of the year. He finished at 8-under 280, the highest winning score at the Memorial in 23 years. Perry earned $1.08 million for his 10th career victory. The Ryder Cup will be held at Valhalla in his home state of Kentucky, and Perry is so desperate to make the team that he won't even bother qualifying for the US Open. He does not like Torrey Pines, and believes he should devote his energy to tournaments where he has a better chance of earning points, such as Memphis next week and Hartford the week after the US Open. Third-round leader Mathew Goggin lost his three-shot advantage in three holes and stumbled home to a 74, tied for second with former Masters champion Mike Weir, Justin Rose and Jerry Kelly, all of whom closed with a 71. All of them had their chances until dropping shots somewhere along the back nine. Perry took the lead with a birdie on the ninth hole and never gave it up. He effectively secured victory with a 5-wood into 12 feet on the par-5 15th hole, and while he had to settle for a two-putt birdie, it gave him a three-shot lead with three holes remaining. Lee wins LPGA event In South Carolina, South Korean Seon Hwa Lee took advantage of a monumental collapse by Sophie Gustafson to win the LPGA Ginn Tribute with a playoff victory over Australian Karrie Webb. Lee hardly seemed positioned for her third career title entering the round, trailing overnight leader Gustafson of Sweden by nine shots. Gustafson, who was six shots in front of Webb at the start of play, completely fell apart. The Swede had five bogeys and two double bogeys over her final 15 holes and finished at seven-over-par 79, tying for fourth at 11-under 277. Lee made the most of her chance. She carded a 67 for a 14-under total of 274 and beat Hall of Famer Webb at the first playoff hole to claim the first prize of $390,000. Sweden's Annika Sorenstam was the tournament host, but never mounted a serious challenge for a fourth victory of the year. She closed with a 71 to finish at four-under. –AP __
