(Sports Network) - Kenny Perry erased a three-shot deficit on Sunday to rally and win The Memorial for the third time in his career. Perry closed with a three-under 69 to collect a two-shot win over four players. He finished at eight-under-par 280.

The 47-year-old, who also won this tournament in 1991 and 2003, joins world No. 1 Tiger Woods as the only three-time winners at Jack Nicklaus' tournament.

This was Perry's 10th win on the PGA Tour, but just his second come-from- behind triumph. The other was his second tour title, the 1994 New England Classic.

"My whole life, Sandy (his wife) stayed home raising the kids while I was playing and winning, and this is the first tournament of my 10 wins that they've all been here with me, so it's all very special," stated Perry, who collected $1.08 million for the win.

The victory also moved Perry closer to getting on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, which has been one of his goals this year as the event will be played in his home state of Kentucky.

"You know when (captain) Paul Azinger said you'd probably have to win a tournament to get on his team, that really changed my thinking, it really did" Perry admitted. "I'm glad I saw it because I've been playing great...but when he said I had to win that changed my head a little bit."

Perry still plans to skip the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in two weeks.

"No, I'm still not going to the Open," Perry said when asked if this would change his mind about playing in the Open. "I'm going to play Memphis next week and I'll take the Open off, then play in Hartford and the Buick. I set my schedule on events I play well in to make the Ryder Cup team. I've never played Torrey Pines well and that's why I choose not to go out there."

Overnight-night leader Mathew Goggin struggled to a two-over 74 to fall to six-under-par 282.

Goggin was joined in a share of second place by Mike Weir (71), Jerry Kelly (71) and Justin Rose (71). All four of those players owned at least a share of the lead during the final round at Muirfield Village.

Perry opened with four straight pars before back-to-back birdies from the fifth gave him a piece of the lead at minus-seven.

After Rose moved to eight-under, Perry joined him there thanks to a birdie on the ninth.

Perry parred the first five holes of the back nine to remain at minus-eight, but his top competitors fell two back. Perry pushed his lead to three strokes with a two-putt birdie on the par-five 15th.

After a par on 16, Perry found a greenside bunker on the 17th and that led to bogey that dropped him to minus-eight. He parred the last and had to wait for Weir and Goggin to finish.

Weir, the 2003 Masters champion, moved into a share of the lead on the front nine. The Canadian posted a bogey and four birdies on the front side to get to eight-under.

Around the turn, Weir missed the putting surface at 10 and 11. He walked off both greens with bogeys. Needing two birdies or an eagle to force a playoff, Weir missed an eight-foot birdie try on 17. At the last, his approach from the thick right rough came up well short of the green to seal the win for Perry.

Goggin was three-over for his round through 11 holes. He birdied No. 12 to get within two of the lead at minus-six. After four straight pars, he also needed a late rally to gain a playoff.

However, he bogeyed the 17th to end his chances at the extra session. Goggin did birdie the last two earn a share of second, his second career runner-up finish.

Rose birdied one and three, then dropped a shot at the sixth. He holed a bunker shot for eagle on the par-five seventh to jump into the lead at minus- eight.

From there, he dropped shots at eight, 12 and 13 to tumble to minus-five. He got one shot back thanks to a birdie on 15 and parred out to tie for second.

Kelly, who played with Perry, parred the first five holes before converting birdie efforts on six and seven.

Those birdies gave him a share of the lead, but it was brief. He stumbled to a bogey on eight and another on 14 to sink to minus-five. Kelly birdied the 15th to get back to minus-six.

Rocco Mediate (69), Steve Lowery (71) and Luke Donald (73) shared sixth place at two-under-par 286. Geoff Ogilvy was the final player in red figures at minus-one despite a final-round 74.



Copyright 2008 The Sports Network
All rights reserved