Perry wins third Memorial, makes case for Ryder Cup

Kenny Perry joined Tiger Woods as a three-time winner of the Memorial on Sunday, taking a big step toward joining the No. 1 player in the world on the Ryder Cup team this fall.

With every contender in full retreat on the back nine, the 47-year-old Perry surged ahead with pars and one timely birdie, coasting home to a three-under-par 69 and a two-shot victory in Dublin, Ohio, that could not have come at a better time.

He became the oldest winner of the tournament.

Bigger still was his answer to U.S. captain Paul Azinger’s statement last week that anyone making his Ryder Cup team would almost certainly have to win on tour this year.

Perry finished at eight-under 280, the highest winning score at the Memorial in 23 years. Perry earned $1.08 million for the 10th victory of his career, which translates to 1,080 points toward the Ryder Cup, moving him to No. 5 in the standings.

“When he [Azinger] said in the paper that you’re probably going to have to win a tournament to get on his team, that changed my thinking,” Perry said. “I’m glad I saw it.”

Third-round leader Mathew Goggin lost his three-shot advantage in three holes and stumbled home to a 74, tied for second with former Masters champion Mike Weir, Justin Rose and Jerry Kelly, all of whom closed with a 71.

Sophie Gustafson’s stunning collapse and Karrie Webb’s short playoff miss opened the way for Seon Hwa Lee to come from nine shots back and win the Ginn Tribute in Mount Pleasant, S.C.

South Korea’s Lee two-putted from about 45 feet for par on the lone playoff hole, the 18th, then watched Webb miss a three-footer. Lee shot a 67 for her third LPGA title.

Holding a six-shot lead when the day began, Gustafson had five bogeys and two double bogeys in her last 15 holes for a seven-over 79 that left her three shots from the playoff.

Song-Hee Kim (69) was third at 13-under.

Jay Haas shot a six-under 65 to repeat as champion of the Principal Charity Classic in West Des Moines, Iowa, and move into first place on the Champions Tour money list.

Haas, who won the Senior PGA Championship last week, shot four under on the back nine and finished at 10-under 203, one shot ahead of Andy Bean. Haas also passed Bernhard Langer for first in the points standings.

Michelle Wie had a final-round 67 to finish sixth at 14 under in the Ladies German Open, seven strokes behind South Korean winner Amy Yang at Munich, Germany.

Wie completed a tournament under par for the first time since the Evian Masters in July 2006 -- a streak of 13 events that included seven missed cuts.

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PRO FOOTBALL

Taylor open to trade for one final season

Jason Taylor wants to play one more season, even if it’s with the Miami Dolphins.

The six-time Pro Bowl defensive end denied reports that he demanded to be traded from the Dolphins but did acknowledge for the first time that if Miami wanted to move him, he would be receptive.

Taylor, 33, and the Dolphins have been estranged for weeks, partly over his decision to perform on “Dancing With the Stars” and not work out with teammates. Last month, Dolphins Coach Tony Sparano said Taylor would miss all minicamps and training camp.

Police are investigating a hit-and-run accident involving a sport utility vehicle registered to Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch but don’t know whether he was in the SUV when it struck and injured a female pedestrian early Saturday in Buffalo, N.Y.

Buffalo Police Department spokesman Mike DeGeorge said it’s unclear whether Lynch was driving or even in the SUV when the accident occurred at an intersection near Buffalo’s downtown bar district.

DeGeorge said the woman was injured but was treated and released from a hospital.

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MISCELLANY

Arizona State reaches softball finals on homer

Jackie Vasquez hit a three-run homer after slugger Kaitlin Cochran was hit with a pitch, leading Arizona State to a 3-1 victory over Alabama and its first trip to the Women’s College World Series finals.

Vasquez’s fourth home run of the season gave the sixth-seeded Sun Devils (64-5) their first hit of the game against Kelsi Dunne.

Dunne (26-6) had hit Kristen Miller to start the third inning and then hit Cochran on a 1-1 pitch with two out to give Arizona State its first two baserunners. She allowed only two other runners.

The Sun Devils will face Texas A&M; (57-8), which beat Florida (70-5), 1-0, on Kelsey Spittler’s run-scoring triple in the ninth inning.

With David Beckham at captain, Gareth Barry scored his first England goal eight years after making his debut, helping the country to a 3-0 friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago at Port-of-Spain.

Beckham captained England for the first time since the 2006 World Cup on his 102nd international appearance.

Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh defeated Annett Davis and Jenny Johnson Jordan, 21-7, 21-17, to win an AVP Tour event at Atlanta.

Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal won the men’s event, beating Anthony Medel and Fred Souza, 18-21, 21-15 and 15-10.