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Bob Denney
The PGA of America
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Reigning National Champion Rod Perry of Port Orange, Fla., put the finishing touches on a memorable 2013 season Friday evening by capturing his second consecutive PGA Professional Player of the Year award.
Perry, 40, the PGA head professional at Crane Lakes Golf and Country Club in Port Orange, secured the honor by finishing tied for third in the final PGA Tournament Series event of the season at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Perry is the lone left-handed player and sole PGA Golf Management University graduate to win a PGA Professional National Championship and a PGA Professional Player of the Year Award.
Perry won his first National Championship in June
in Sunriver, Ore., and then added a seventh North Florida PGA Section Championship and seventh Section Player of the Year title. Over the past two months in the six-event PGA Tournament Series, he collected four top-10 finishes and placed fourth on the money list.
Perry earned 1,191.5 overall points to edge former National Champion Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio, a three-time PGA Professional Player of the Year who had 1,107.5 points. Jeff Sorenson of Blaine, Minn., was next at 771.25, followed by David Muttitt of Albuquerque, N.M., with 771, and Kelly Mitchum of Southern Pines, N.C., with 757.5.
Perry is the second North Florida PGA member (following Brett Upper of Clearwater, Fla., in 1990) to garner a PGA Professional Player of the Year, an award which began in 1984. Perry will be honored June 20, 2014, in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at the 47th PGA Professional National Championship presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz USA and OMEGA. The 2013 Senior PGA Professional Player of the Year also will be honored at that time, but the recipient will be determined April 18, 2014, following the conclusion of the postponed Southworth Senior PGA Professional National Champion- ship.
Rod Perry, who owns two PGA Professional Player of the Year awards, is the only left-hander to win a PGA Professional National Championship and a PGA Professional Player of the Year Award.
Perry takes
Back-to-Back
PGA Professional Player Award