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A22    SPORTS
                    Tuesday 7 augusT 2018
            Kenny Perry wins 3M Championship for third and final time




            By MIKE COOK                                                                           he said. "It's hard to go out  ing about that today, and
             Associated Press                                                                      with  a  five-shot  lead  and  (four) years ago I shot 62 in
            BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Kenny                                                             be  the  hunted  instead  of  the  last  round,"  said  Short,
            Perry created more drama                                                               being the hunter. It felt very  who  finished  seventh  last
            than he wanted Sunday in                                                               odd out there. I didn't want  year  and  ninth  in  2014.  "I
            the last 3M Championship.                                                              to  give  it  away;  I  didn't  knew that catching Kenny
            He  closed  with  a  3-under                                                           want  to  play  too  aggres-  was  probably  going  to  be
            69 for a three-stroke victory                                                          sive,  I  didn't  want  to  play  out  of  the  question,  but  I
            in  the  PGA  Tour  Champi-                                                            too safe."                   thought maybe I could get
            ons event that is being re-                                                            He came out flat and mishit  second with a good round
            placed  by  the  PGA  Tour's                                                           many shots.                  today."
            3M Open.                                                                               Back-to-back  bogeys  on  Playing two groups in front
            Also the 2014 and 2015 win-                                                            Nos.  6  and  7  —  Perry  had  of  Perry,  Short  got  within
            ner  at  TPC  Twin  Cities,  the                                                       one  in  the  first  two  rounds  two  shots  with  three  holes
            57-year-old Perry matched                                                              — coupled with a seventh-    to  go,  but  Perry  made  a
            Hale  Irwin's  tournament                                                              hole  birdie  by  Glen  Day  birdie putt at 16 for a three-
            record  of  three  victories                                                           dropped  Perry's  lead  to  shot advantage.
            in  the  final  edition  of  the                                                       one stroke. Day had a bo-    "I  knew  I  needed  to  make
            event  that  started  in  1993   Kenny Perry holds the trophy after winning the 3M Championship   gey at the par-3 eighth and  that,  somehow  get  that  in
                                         golf  tournament  Sunday,  Aug.  5,  2018,  at  TPC  Twin  Cities  in
            at Bunker Hills.             Blaine, Minn.                                             Perry rolled in a birdie putt  there to give a little bit of a
            "It's  an  honor.  Incredible.                                        Associated Press  at  nine,  pushing  the  lead  cushion," Perry said.
            He's  one  of  the  greatest                                                           back to three.               In  his  first  tour  event,  Tom
            players  of  all  time,"  Perry  tion to return to the tour af-  finished at 21-under 195 to  "That  calmed  me  down  Gillis  (67)  joined  Day  (70)
            said.                        ter they've lost status.     win his 10th senior title and  and  I  was  able  to  go  out  six shots back at 15 under.
            Perry's  not  done  at  the  "This golf course fits me to a  first  since  the  2017  U.S.  Se-  there  and  shoot  a  good  Gillis, who turned 50 July 16,
            course where he finished in  T. ... It's going to be so long  nior Open. He won the last  back nine," said Perry, who  won the Tuesday qualifier.
            the top seven in all but one  next year, I probably won't  of  his  14  PGA  Tour  titles  in  was 14-under on the back  "I  haven't  played  golf  for
            of  his  eight  appearances,  even  recognize  it  when  I  2008.                      nine this week.              seven days in a row in over
            saying  he'll  participate  in  come back," he said. "I'll be  Following  offseason  shoul-  Looking for his first win since  two  years,  so  I  was  happy
            the  2019  3M  Open.  Play-  back here hitting long irons  der surgery, Perry's best fin-  the  2014  Quebec  Cham-  how  I  held  up  physically
            ers  in  the  top-50  PGA  Tour  while those kids will be hit-  ish  this  season  had  been  pionship, Wes Short Jr. was  and mentally," Gillis said. "I
            career money list — Perry is  ting wedges."               fifth  at  the  Insperity  Invita-  second after a 63.    lost  my  status  on  the  tour
            26th — can cash in a one-    Five  shots  ahead  after  tional in early May.           "Last year I shot 62 in the fi-  when I was 48. ... I'm overly
            time,  season-long  exemp-   rounds  of  66  and  60,  Perry  "I was very nervous today,"  nal  round  and  I  was  think-  pleased."q

              France takes leave from NASCAR following DWI, drug arrest




                                                                      on Sunday, police said.      pulled  over  and  arrested  tendance  and  TV  ratings
                                                                      "I apologize to our fans, our  at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday  and  departing  sponsors,
                                                                      industry  and  my  family  for  after police said they saw  attributing the down turn to
                                                                      the  impact  of  my  actions  his 2017 Lexus roll through a  the challenge of connect-
                                                                      last night," France said in a  stop sign near the Sag Har-  ing  with  a  new,  younger
                                                                      statement Monday. "Effec-    bor waterfront.             generation of fans.
                                                                      tive  immediately,  I  will  be  His  eyes  were  red  and  France last month charac-
                                                                      taking  an  indefinite  leave  glassy and he struggled to  terized  as  "rumors"  reports
                                                                      of  absence  from  my  posi-  keep  his  balance  during  that his family was looking
                                                                      tion to focus on my person-  field  sobriety  tests,  police  into selling its racing prop-
                                                                      al affairs."                 said. Tests showed France's  erties.
                                                                      France has been NASCAR's  blood-alcohol        content  "The    France   family   is
                                                                      chairman  and  CEO  since  was  0.18,  police  said.  The  locked  and  loaded  in  its
                                                                      2003. His uncle, Jim France,  legal  limit  in  New  York  is  dedication  to  NASCAR,"
                                                                      a  vice  chairman  and  ex-  0.08.                       France  told  SiriusXM  NAS-
                                                                      ecutive vice president, will  Officers  found  five  oxyco-  CAR Radio. "We're focused
                                                                      take over those roles on an  done  pills  during  a  subse-  on  ruling  and  managing
                                                                      interim basis.               quent search, police said.  NASCAR.  There's  nothing
                                                                      France, 56, was arraigned  TMZ  first  reported  the  ar-  to  report  on  that.  Rumors
              In this May 23, 2018, file photo, NASCAR Chairman Brian France   at Sag Harbor Village Jus-  rest.               are always interesting, but
              watches a video of driver Jeff Gordon after after announcing
              Gordon will be inducted into the 2019 class of the NASCAR Hall   tice  Court  after  spending  France  is  a  third-genera-  they're seldom right."
              of Fame, in Charlotte, N.C.                             the night in jail. He was re-  tion  leader  of  NASCAR.  France  was  involved  in  a
                                                     Associated Press  leased on his own recogni-  His  late  grandfather,  Bill  2006  incident  in  Daytona
                                                                      zance  and  is  due  back  in  France  Sr.,  founded  the  Beach,  Florida,  when  a
              SAG HARBOR, N.Y. (AP) —  criminal possession of oxy-    court Sept 14.               company in 1948.            police  report  stated  he
              NASCAR  chairman  and  codone.                          His  lawyer  referred  report-  He's  introduced  a  play-  crashed  his  Lexus  into  a
              CEO  Brian  France  an-     France  had  a  blood-al-   ers to a NASCAR statement  off    system,   overhauled  tree  after  entering  a  res-
              nounced Monday he was  cohol  content  that  was  on the matter. The organi-         the design of its cars, and  taurant parking lot.
              taking  an  indefinite  leave  more than twice the legal  zation said it takes France's  pushed  for  diversity  within  France  later  told  an  of-
              of absence a day after his  limit, smelled of booze and  arrest  "as  a  serious  mat-  the circuit's predominantly  ficer  called  to  his  home
              arrest in New York's Hamp-  slurred  his  words  after  he  ter  and  will  issue  a  state-  white, male ranks.  that  he  was  drinking  a
              tons  on  charges  of  driv-  was seen blowing through  ment after we have all of  In recent years, he's been  soda  and  "bumped  into
              ing  while  intoxicated  and  a  stop  sign  in  Sag  Harbor  the facts." France, 56, was  dealing  with  plunging  at-  something."q
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