The effects of his parents' ailments and so-so play have finally taken their toll on 2009 Travelers Championship winner Kenny Perry.
Perry, who finished in the top 15 in the first two PGA Tour playoffs for the FedEx Cup, is out of postseason play after withdrawing Thursday from the Deutsche Bank Championship, which begins Friday at TPC Boston in Cromwell.
Perry ranks 90th in FedExCup points and only top 70 after the Deutsche Bank Championship ends Monday advances to the third stage, the BMW Championship at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in suburban Chicago.
"Kenny made his decision to withdraw from the Deutsche Bank Championship and consequently the FedExCup Playoffs after much thought and consideration," Perry's agent, Alan Bulllington, said in a statement. "He is mentally and physically exhausted and simply needs a few months at home to rest and refocus.
"We have already begun planning his tournament schedule for 2011, and Kenny is extremely excited about the opportunities that lie ahead on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour."
Perry, who turned 50 on Aug. 10, is eligible to play on both tours but obviously has been run down by his suspect play, the death of his mother and the long illness of his father. After winning five tournaments in the previous two years, Perry's best finish in 2010 is a tie for sixth in his first start of the season, the SBS Championship. Since then, he has failed to produce a top-10, although he did tie for 19th two weeks ago in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.
But Perry missed the cut last in the first playoff event, The Barclays, and had failed to reach weekend play in three of his last four starts. His withdrawal leaves the Deutsche Bank Championship with 99 players, who begin play Friday at 7 a.m. off both tees.
"It just seems like I just don't want to get after it like I used to," Perry said at Bridgestone when asked about his year. "I don't want to just try to kill myself like I did, and it's showing. I don't seem like I hit the golf shots I used to hit. I'm accustomed to hitting, what I've seen from me to hit.
"I don't know if I want it anymore. That's the question I need to answer."
In 2009, Perry finished ninth in FedExCup points thanks largely to his Travelers Championship victory and a tie for fourth at The Tour Championship. In 2008, he was 15th in the playoffs.
But the important thing now is for Perry to get his game, enthusiasm and family matters in order. Good luck to one of golf's really good guys.
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