FBR Open: Final-round notebook

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Kenny Perry's win Sunday in the FBR Open comes in his third start of the 2009 season, the earliest in the year he has won in any season. His previous earliest win came in 1995, when he captured the Bob Hope Classic in his fifth start of the year. He also won the 2005 Bay Hill Invitational in his sixth start of that season.

• Perry is now 10 of 17 when holding or sharing the lead heading into the final round, but a whopping nine of those victories have come in the last 11 times he's been in that situation.

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David Toms was one of only four players to post four rounds in the 60s this week.

Inside the Numbers

Final Leaderboard

Player Points 1. *Kenny Perry 270 -14 2. Charley Hoffman 270 -14 3. Kevin Na 271 -13 T4. James Nitties 272 -12 T4. David Toms 272 -12 T6. Ryan Moore 273 -11 T6. Matt Kuchar 273 -11 T6. Brian Gay 273 -11 T6. Scott Piercy 273 -11 T10. Cliff Kresge 274 -12 T10. Jeff Maggert 274 -12

* = won on first playoff hole.

• Perry's win Sunday keeps intact a record that no PGA TOUR player has won on the same weekend his hometown team won the Super Bowl. A total of 31 players from the greater Phoenix area teed it up this week at TPC Scottsdale with Geoff Ogilvy's tie for 17th being the highest finish by a local player. Perry lives in Franklin, Ky.

• Australian rookie James Nitties finished tied for fourth this week in his third career start on the PGA TOUR. Nitties missed the cut in his two prior starts this year at the Sony Open in Hawaii and last week's Bob Hope Classic.

• David Toms collected his second top-10 of the year with his tie for fourth finish. Toms, who finished tied for second at the Sony Open in Hawaii to begin his season, had only one top-10 finish last year. This year has started similarly to Toms' 2007 season when he tied for eighth finishes at both the Mercedes Championship and the FBR Open.

• There must be something about the Arizona desert that suits South Korean-born Kevin Na, who finished third this week. Na's record in this event includes a tie for second in 2005, a tie for 67th in 2007, a tie for fourth in 2008 and his tie for third in 2009. In addition to his fine play at TPC Scottsdale, Na also tied for second at the 2005 Chrysler Classic of Tucson.

• Perry made more money this week ($1,080,000) than he had had in his previous 21 starts in this event ($1,039,898). He now has earned a career total of $2,119,898 in this event.

• Perry also has moved to No. 2 on the FBR Open's all-time money list with $2,119,898. He trails only all-time leader Phil Mickelson, who has earned $2,452,814.

• Perry also takes over the top spot on the PGA Tour money list for the first time in his career. His previous highest rank was No. 2 following his win at the 2008 John Deere Classic. He also increases his career money to $27,477,410, to pass Justin Leonard and move into eighth place on the all-time list.

• Brian Gay tied for sixth this week, the fourth consecutive week the former Florida All-America has posted a top-25 finish. Gay, now in his 11th season on TOUR, is off to the best start of his career. Gay's four consecutive top-25s mark the best stretch he's had on TOUR since midway in the 2001 season when he ran off six in a row, starting with a tie for sixth at the Buick Open.

• This was the 13th time the FBR Open has concluded with a playoff, and only the second time there has been a playoff in consecutive years (1995,1996). Phil Mickelson (1996, 2008) and Ben Hogan (1946, 1949) are the only players who have been in two playoffs, and both players won one and lost the other.

• Players who posted four rounds in the 60s this week: Hoffman 66-68-69-67--270 (-14) second; Toms 69-68-67-68--272 (-12) tied for fourth; Ryan Moore 69-67-68-69--273 (-11) tied for sixth; and Cliff Kresge 68-69-68-69--274 (-10) tied for 10th.

• Seating capacity at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., for Super Bowl XLIII is 72,500. Attendance Sunday at the FBR Open was 60,425, bringing the total attendance for the week to 470,294. Last year, a record total of 538,356 fans came through gates at TPC Scottsdale throughout the week.

• Nine of the top 11 players finishing this week are Nationwide Tour alumni, including Hoffman, who lost in the playoff to Perry. Hoffman missed the cut in this event in 2007 and 2008, the only two times he had teed it up at TPC Scottsdale.

• Nitties (tied for fourth) and Scott Piercy (tied for sixth) were the top finishers amongst PGA TOUR rookies this week. Others rookies to make the 36-hole cut were Jeff Klauk (tied for 48th), Gary Woodland (tied for 60th) and Webb Simpson (65th).

• Rickie Fowler shot a 3-over-par 74 Sunday and finished the week at 1-over 285 (tied for 58th). Fowler played on a Sponsor's Exemption and was the only amateur in this week's field. This was the third career start on TOUR for the 20-year-old sophomore at Oklahoma State University. He missed the cut at last year's Verizon Heritage and tied for 60th at the U.S. Open. Fowler is currently the No. 2-ranked amateur in the world behind only Danny Lee of New Zealand. Fowler was an All-America selection as a freshman, Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, the first-ever freshman to win the Ben Hogan Award and a Walker Cup member last year.

• The best rounds of the day on Sunday came from Rod Pampling and D.J. Trahan, who had 6-under 65s, and John Senden and Brett Quigley, who had 5-under 66s.

• With this victory Perry earned his 13th career PGA TOUR triumph in his 565th event at the age of 48 years, 3 months and 21 days. Perry became the oldest winner in FBR Open history. The previous oldest winner was Julius Boros (1967) at the age of 46 years, 11 months, 9 days.

• Perry's previous victories came in the 1991 Memorial Tournament, 1994 New England Classic, 1995 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, 2001 Buick Open, 2003 Bank of America Colonial, 2003 Memorial Tournament, 2003 Greater Milwaukee Open, 2005 Bay Hill Invitational, 2005 Bank of America Colonial, 2008 Memorial Tournament, 2008 Buick Open and 2008 John Deere Classic.

• Perry earned 500 FedExCup points to move into second place on the season-long points list with 598 total points.

• Perry's opening-round 1-over-par 72 tied the mark for the fourth-highest opening round score by a tournament winner. Harold McSpaden shot a 74 at Phoenix CC in 1944, Phil Mickelson shot a 73 at TPC Scottsdale in 2005, Dudley Wysong shot a 73 at Phoenix CC in 1966 and Cary Middlecoff shot a 72 at Phoenix CC in 1956.

• Perry's win comes in his 22nd start at the FBR Open. He now has 6 top-10s and 12 top-25s and 17 cuts made. His previous best finish was a tie for second in 2002.

• With his win, he ties Rocco Mediate for second place on the tournament's list for most top-10 finishes since the event moved to TPC Scottsdale in 1987. Phil Mickelson leads the list with nine, Perry and Mediate have six each.

• Perry also became the third player to win this season to win when holding the lead going into the final round, joining Geoff Ogilvy (Mercedes-Benz Championship) and Zach Johnson (Sony Open in Hawaii).

• Perry ran his career playoff record to 3-2. He won the 1991 Memorial Tournament over Hale Irwin; lost the 1996 PGA Championship to Mark Brooks; lost the 2008 AT&T Classic to Ryuji Imada; won the 2008 John Deere Classic over Brad Adamonis and Jay Williamson; and won the 2009 FBR Open over Hoffman

• With his win, Perry tied Boros for fourth place on the list for most TOUR wins after the age of 40: Vijay Singh leads the list with 22, while Sam Snead is second with 17 and Willie Mcfarlane is third with 15.