Mr. Kenny Perry

(Inducted in 2007)

Kenny Perry, a 1982 WKU alumnus and nine-time winner on the PGA Tour, has become one of the world’s top golfers but hasn’t forgotten his local ties.

Perry, who was born in Elizabethtown, lives in Franklin, KY where he built Country Creek as an affordable public golf course designed for mid-to-high handicappers. In 1995, Perry bought 142 acres of land to design and build the course. He also was named the winner of the Golf Writers Association of America’s 2002 Charles Bartlett Award, given to a professional golfer for his unselfish contributions to the betterment of society. Perry donates 5 percent of his winnings to Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., to provide scholarships for Simpson County students.

Perry turned pro in 1982 and ranks 10th on the PGA Tour’s all-time money list with more than $20 million in winnings. Perry seems to have gotten better with age as six of his PGA Tour wins have come since he turned 40 in 2000.

In 2003, Perry enjoyed his most prolific season with three wins and 10 top-10 finishes in 26 starts. He won a career-best $4.4 million and was one of three players to finish in the top 10 in three majors. Perry’s wins included back-to-back victories at the Bank of America Colonial and the Memorial. He also won the Greater Milwaukee Open.

Perry was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup in 2004 and posted seven top-10 finishes that year.

He continued his hot play in 2005 with a win at the Bay Hill Invitational and a second Bank of America Colonial title. His four-round total of 261 (19 under par) at the Colonial matched the 72-hole record he set when he won the tournament in 2003.

Perry had seven top 10 finishes in 2005 and was sixth on the PGA money list, matching his career best in 2003. He also won the 2005 Franklin Templeton Shootout with partner John Huston.

Perry is a three-time member of the U.S. Presidents Cup team (1996, 2003, 2005) and was inducted into WKU’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Kentucky Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.

His first PGA Tour win came in the 1991 Memorial Tournament followed by the 1994 New England Classic, the 1995 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and 2001 Buick Open. In his career, Perry has posted eight second-place finishes, 10 third-place finishes and 85 top 10s. In 1996,

Perry nearly won the PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, losing in a playoff to Mark Brooks.

Perry, who played golf at WKU from 1979-82, had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in 2006 and missed several weeks of action. During his recovery, Perry, who took up golf at age 7 with encouragement from his father, got to spend extra time with his son, Justin, a member of WKU’s golf team. The 2006 WKU men’s golf team won its first-ever Sun Belt Conference title and qualified for the NCAA Regionals.

In 2007, Perry finished third in the Memorial Tournament, his first top 10 finish since 2005. His longetivity in the PGA has been remarkable and has allowed him to be associated with all the greats of the game for more than two decades.

Perry and his wife, Sandy, also have two daughters, Lesslye and Lindsey.