Perry closer to making Ryder Cup team after winning Memorial

Kenny Perry's sole purpose on the PGA Tour this year is to go home to Kentucky for the Ryder Cup.

He took a big step yesterday by winning on a course that feels like home.

"Magic always happens for me here," Perry said after closing with a 3-under 69 to pull away from the pack for a two-shot victory at the Memorial in Dublin, Ohio.

He joined Tiger Woods as the only three-time winners at the tournament Jack Nicklaus built.

When Perry arrived at the Memorial, he heard Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger say that it would take nothing short of winning for a player to make the U.S. team at Valhalla. The message came through as clear as the blue skies over Muirfield Village.

"My time is running out," Perry said yesterday. "It's getting close to September. I said, 'You need to make it happen, and you need to make it happen fast.' "

Perry finished at 8-under 280, the highest score to win the Memorial in 23 years. Third-round leader Mathew Goggin stumbled to a 74, and tied for second at 282 with former Masters champion Mike Weir, Justin Rose and Jerry Kelly, all of whom closed with a 71.

In other tournaments:

* At West Des Moines, Iowa, Jay Haas shot a 10-under 203 to repeat as champion of the Principal Charity Classic. Andy Bean finished second, one shot back.

* At Mount Pleasant, S.C., South Korea's Seon Hwa Lee two-putted from about 45 feet for par on the lone playoff hole, the 18th, to win the Ginn Tribute after LPGA Hall of Famer Karrie Webb missed a 3-footer that would have extended the match. Lee and Webb tied at regulation at 14-under 274.

* At Newport, Wales, Scott Strange got his first European Tour victory by leading the Wales Open from start to finish. He finished at 22-under 262. Robert Karlsson, of Sweden, was second, four strokes back after a final-round 64.

* At St. Andrews, Scotland, Stacey Lewis became the first player in the 76-year history of the Curtis Cup to go 5-0 in matches en route to leading the Americans to their sixth straight title, 13-7 over Great Britain & Ireland.

* At Munich, Germany, South Korean teenager Amy Yang won the Ladies German Open by four strokes (21-under 367) and Michelle Wie had a solid final round (67) to finish sixth. *