Craig Perks

Craig Perks
Craig Perks
Personal information
Full name	Craig William Perks
Born	6 January 1967 (age 57); Palmerston North,; New Zealand
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg; 14 st)
Sporting nationality	New Zealand
Career
College	Southwestern Louisiana,; Oklahoma
Turned professional	1993
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour; PGA Tour of Australasia; Nike Tour; Hooters Tour
Professional wins	5
Highest ranking	61 (12 May 2002)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	1
Other	4
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

Craig William Perks (born 6 January 1967) is a professional golfer from New Zealand who won the 2002 Players Championship.

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 (5)

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

Hooters Tour wins (4)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	4 Jul 1993	Croatan National Classic	66-67-71-71=275	−13	2 strokes	Mike Brisky
2	8 Aug 1993	Collins Pro Classic	73-68-67-71=279	−9	1 stroke	Jeff Barlow
3	18 Sep 1994	Boast Classic	66-69-68=203*	−13	3 strokes	Andy Morse
4	30 Apr 1995	Coca-Cola Classic	64-65-69-62=260	−24	2 strokes	Dennis Zinkon

*Note: The 1994 Boast Classic was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

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	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

Did not play

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

Win

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