Memorial winner Kenny Perry will skip the qualifiers for the US Open, opting instead to play in Memphis next week. CBS Sportsline’s Steve Elling writes:

Kenny Perry has made up his mind.

Rather than beat his head against the wall and compete in a lengthy U.S. Open sectional qualifier on Monday, rather than possibly playing on a major venue that he doesn’t like, the 36-hole co-leader at the Memorial Tournament is stubbornly staying home when the national championship is staged next month.

Instead of potentially playing in the U.S. Open in two weeks at Torrey Pines, a course where he has had zero success, he’s staying home in Kentucky—the state that this fall will host the Ryder Cup, an event he’s desperately trying to make.

Talk about multiple levels of twisted irony. In his mind, the best way to wear red, white and blue is to skip the country’s national championship.

All year, Perry has admittedly been in an outright sprint to earn points to qualify for the Ryder team, and next week will play in Memphis, which will mark his seventh straight PGA Tour event. The U.S. Open, mind you, presents a double-points opportunity for Ryder hopefuls, but the way Perry sees it, if playing in the qualifier messes up his chances in Memphis, why do it?

Perry has made three trips to the Buick Invitational, which is staged at Torrey Pines, over two decades, and has never played on the weekend.

I don’t blame him. If his goal is to play in the Ryder Cup in his home state, this is the only move that make sense. He’s got the Memorial win now, and another would make him a leading candidate for a Captain’s pick at the least. Memphis likely will be devoid of A level talent, giving a top player like Perry a real shot at victory.  And why not. Over the past seven weeks, he’s been one of the best players on Tour, with a first, a second and a 15. His average finish was 23.

I saw the following exchange between a Golf Channel interviewer and Boo Weekley following his HSBC match play victory:

Golf Channel Interviewer: Does it take a little while to get used to this format as opposed to stroke play which you’re more familiar with?

Boo: As yes it does. It’s like yesterday. I didn’t know I could give putts away and I didn’t know that its the standard of who’s the furthest away has got to go first. Its all new to me.

It seems that The GolfBlogger’s Guide To Match Play should be required reading for the members of the PGA Tour (or at least for Boo). If Paul Azinger wants, I could take a drive to Valhalla this fall and give a lecture to the US Ryder Cup team before they start to play. Ann Arbor is only about three hours away, and for the good of the nation, I’d be willing to take a couple of days off from work.

The PGA Tour has deferred to the Ryder Cup, rescheduling the FedEx Cup Championship for the week after the Ryder Cup. It’s also given the players the week off leading into the Ryder Cup. That means there will be a two week break between the Western Open BMW and the Tour Championship.

That move also should get help to prevent players from taking a week off of the “playoffs” to rest.

I appreciate the Tour’s deference. Now if they would just give back the Western Open, stop dissing the Canadian Open and restore the BC, all would be right with the world.

A putter that once belonged to Samuel Ryder will be made available for auction on January 26, 2008. Auction house Bonhams expects it to fetch between twenty and thirty thousand pounds ($40,000 - $60,000).

Ryder is best known as the namesake of the Ryder Cup—the biennial competition between European and American professionals. As the story goes, Ryder was watching a 1926 competition between British and American professionals just prior to that year’s Open Championship, and was so impressed that he agreed to sponsor the event.

Ryder made his fortune by selling paper packets of seeds. Prior to this, seeds were available only in bulk quantities that were not useful for small gardeners.  Ryder started buying the bulk seeds and repackaging them in penny paper packets. He and his family worked out of their home, delivering the seeds on Friday in time for the workmen to have for their Saturday day off. He soon grew quite wealthy, and had as many as 90 employees.

When he was in his fifties, Ryder’s failing health prompted his doctor to prescribe outdoor exercise and recommended golf. Skeptical at first, Ryder soon became hooked—even employing a full time professional named Abe Mitchell as his personal coach. Playing several days a week, Ryder lowered his handicap to a 4. He had a reputation as a deadly accurate putter.

Bonham’s calls this an “historically important putter.” It’s a Robert Forgan mallet-shaped putter from c.1910, stamped with the initials ‘SR.’ It’s being sold with a signed letter from Joan Scarfe Ryder’s godson, showing the history of the putter. Joan Scarfe Ryder was Samuel Ryder’s youngest daughter and her godson is the vendor.

Bonhams’ golfing specialist said: “The Ryder Cup is undoubtedly golf’s most exciting event and we are thrilled to be offering the Samuel Ryder’s wooden putter. There will be many Golf Clubs in Europe and the US that have hosted the Ryder Cup interested in acquiring this important piece of golfing history.”

The Golf Channel’s Brian Hewett has a column on lessons the US should learn from the President’s Cup. He says it’s all about putting.

Duh.