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Courtesy of Greg Hardwig
Naples Daily News
NAPLES -- Scott Hoch had everything to do with his ACE Group Classic win in Naples 10 months ago. Hoch isn't sure how much he had to do with Sunday's victory in the Merrill Lynch Shootout with red-hot partner Kenny Perry.
"To get a win is great. The downside is he's most likely going to have to play with me next year," Hoch joked.
Perry, 48, and the 53-year-old Hoch had little problems with young guns Boo Weekley and J.B. Holmes for a four-shot win at 31-under-par at Tiburón Golf Club.
"It's pretty hard to believe that the team that's 101 years old won here with all these young guys," Hoch said.
In the scramble format, Perry and Hoch birdied No. 16 and eagled No. 17 to remove any last-hole drama. Perry made an 8-footer on No. 16 after Hoch missed, and Perry's 15-footer for eagle topped Weekley's 18-footer.
"I feel very comfortable playing with Scott," Perry said. "I'm very relaxed. It's very easygoing for me. I don't feel any added pressure or I feel like I have to perform. We're just out there having a good time."
 Hoch and Perry carded consecutive 12-under par 60's to seal the victory. |
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It was the second time this year that Hoch has celebrated in Southwest Florida. He won the 2008 ACE Group Classic, a Champions Tour event, on his own back in February at Quail West Golf & Country Club, where he has a residence.
"Naples has been very, very good to me," Hoch said.
"He's got the mojo, doesn't he, in Naples?" Perry said.
Hoch and Perry had more than that. They stayed at Hoch's house at Quail West.
"I had to put up with sleeping in that shack of his this week," Perry joked. "It was terrible."
"I felt bad for him last night," Hoch said. "I didn't feed him last night, and he had to stop by Chick-Fil-A."
Perry and Hoch weren't chicken to face the long-hitting Holmes and Weekley. It helped that they started the final round with a four-shot lead, built by a birdie-eagle-birdie finish during Saturday's better ball.
Holmes, 26, and Weekley, 35, got as close as three after birdies on Nos. 12 and 13 and eagling No. 14. Weekley had a birdie putt roll around the cup and come back at him on No. 15.
"If that would have gone in, then there could have been a little something there," Hoch said. "I know I would have felt a little something."
"That was about it," Holmes said.
At 53, Hoch became the oldest to win the event, which celebrated its 20th year. Raymond Floyd was 51 when he won it with Steve Elkington in 1993.
Founder Greg Norman and Camilo Villegas had the lowest round of the tournament with a 15-under 57 in the scramble format. They finished in third at 25-under. The 57 was two off the tournament record, held by three teams. Norman and Steve Elkington shot a 57 in 2005.
Nick Price and Jeff Sluman, and Perry and Hoch were only teams to go bogey-free for all 54 holes. Price and Sluman, who had the first-round lead with a 64, birdied their final five holes to finish fourth at 24-under.
Teams played modified alternate shot in the first round, and better-ball in the second round.
Fred Funk withdrew with a knee injury prior to Sunday's round. Ian Baker-Finch replaced him, and played with Chris DiMarco, but the team officially was withdrawn, and finished last.
Defending champions Woody Austin and Mark Calcavecchia shot a 10-under 62, after playing the first two rounds in even par.
 Tournament host Greg Norman and Camilo Villegas had the lowest round of the tournament with a 15-under 57, but it was not enough to catch the red-hot Perry. |
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Perry made eight birdies and an eagle on his own ball in the better-ball format, and followed it up with another strong round while Hoch battled a bothersome left wrist.
"Kenny is probably the best player right now playing," Weekley said. "Granted, he was here with us, but if he was in a regular tournament, he'd have been hard to handle this week."
Hoch was both thankful and impressed by his partner's play. Hoch admitted that early in the week, he was concerned he may not even be able to play. He had treatment on his left wrist, which had surgery on a couple of years ago and has bothered him off and on since then, all week long.
"I really wanted to help him and help me win, and unfortunately I wasn't out there today," Hoch said. "My hand, on the range today, just wasn't good. I didn't want to tell him. My caddie knew. I just didn't have it at all. I couldn't hit a shot. But still, that shouldn't affect my wedge game and putting, and even that was no good.
"So without all that, I did nothing. I mean, it was amazing how well he played. I helped a little bit on the other days, but today he just carried me along."
Perry, who won the tournament in 2005 with John Huston, and Hoch split $730,000. It just added to what Perry called a magical year a day earlier. Perry won three times, finished in the top five on the money list, and was part of the winning U.S. Ryder Cup team in his home state of Kentucky.
"It's been fun; it's been easy," he said. "Just seems like when you're playing well, it's easy, and then you get a little off, and it's like the game is impossible. Whatever I'm doing right now, I wish I knew the formula -- I know the formula, I wish I knew the secret to why I'm playing so much better."
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