Craig Perks

He got into golf in a curious way in his homeland of New Zealand. His dad had two artificial hips and loved to play golf but couldn't without some help in putting the ball on the tee and getting it out of the hole. At age ten, Craig would go along with his dad helping him and even though he did it for six months didn't want to play the game. He loved sports, playing lots of table tennis, swimming, playing rugby and cricket and golf wasn't on his scope. But three years later at 13 he got the bug and along with his dad and two older brothers starting playing a lot. In 1983 when he was 16 the university of Oklahoma golf team came to New Zealand with fellow countryman Grant Waite and Greg Turner on the team. This was a great experience for Perks who knew that to be the best he had to play in America. Despite those in New Zealand telling him not to, he went off to America and went to school at Oklahoma.
While at Oklahoma he played the Louisiana Classic in Lafayette and liked the family that he was staying with. When the coach left Oklahoma he didn't get along with the new coach and left Oklahoma and went to school at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He loved it, met his wife Maureen in Lafayette and settled down there. When he graduated in 1990 he went to Q-school and didn't make it. He went back to Lafayette and got a job as a assistant professional at Le Triomphe C.C. where he spent the next three years. It was a great experience for him and even though he didn't play that much he got very hungry for golf and starting playing competitively again.
He went on the Hooters tour and in two years won four times finally getting on to the Buy.Com tour in 1996. He played four years on that tour and even though he never made it to the limelight he improved at lot in 1999 finishing twice in the top-ten including a runner-up finish in the Oregon Classic.
In 1999 at the Q-school in Florida, Perks earned his card by shooting the exact number it took. His first year on tour wasn't good enough to keep his card as he finished 136 on the money list, despite a T4th finish at the Bell Canadian Open. That forced him back to Q-school and he finished T8th and in 2001 earned just over $450,000 to finish 113th in earnings, thanks to a T2nd finish at the Honda Classic.
1996 Nike Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 19; in money - 7; Top 10 finishes - 1; scoring average 71.96 (ranked 90); money $27,383 (ranked 70); best finish, 2, Nike Carolina Classic.
1997 Nike Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 24; in money - 5; Top 10 finishes - 0; scoring average 71.82 (ranked 103); money $8,316 (ranked 134); best finish, T14, Nike Austin Open.
1998 Nike Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 21; in money - 16; Top 10 finishes - 3; scoring average 70.74 (ranked 39); money $33,613 (ranked 64); best finish, T6, Nike Fort Smith Classic.
1999 Buy.Com Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 28; in money - 13; Top 10 finishes - 2; scoring average 71.99 (ranked 83); money $54,703 (ranked 47); best finish, 2, Buy.Com Oregon Classic.
2000 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 28; Rounds Played: 82 ; in money - 12; top-10 finishes - 1; Best finish: T4th at the Bell Canadian Open; Earnings: $297,912 Rank (136th)
2000 Notes: Retained playing privileges for 2001 with a T8th finish at the PGA Tour Qualifying tournament
2000 Stats: Scoring - 72.00 / (161st); Driving Distance - 273.1 / (102nd); Driving Accuracy - 64.3% / (153rd); GIR - 64.1% / (143rd); Putting - 1.801 / (165th); Birdie Average - 3.21 per rd / (147th) / Total Birdies - 263; Sand Saves - 63.5% / (3rd); Scrambling - 61.9% / (41st); All-Around Rank - 1008 / (152nd)
2001 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 30; in money - 9; Top 10 finishes - 2; scoring averae 71.65 (ranked 138); money $457,127 (ranked 113); best finish, T2, 2001 Honda Classic.
2001 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 30; Rounds Played: 76 ; in money - 9; top-10 finishes - 2; Best finish: T-2nd at the Honda Classic; Earnings: $457,127 Rank (113th)
2001 Notes: Made cut in seven of the last 14 events he played in, including a T6th finish in National Car Rental/Disney which secured his card for 2002.
2001 Stats: Scoring - 71.65 / (138th); Driving Distance - 283.6 / (52nd); Driving Accuracy - 65.6% / (143rd); GIR - 65.0% / (137); Putting - 1.764 / (70th); Birdie Average - 3.49 per rd / (122nd) / Total Birdies - 265; Sand Saves - 55.8% / (43rd); Scrambling - 59.7% / (103rd); All-Around Rank - 719 / (81st).
2002 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered: 28; Rounds Played: 87 ; in money - 17; top-10 finishes - 3 / Best finish: Winner at the The Players Championship / Earnings: $1,632,042 Rank (34th)
2002 Notes: Also finished T5th at the Genuity Championship
2002 Stats: Scoring - 71.56 / (138th); Driving Distance - 278.5 / (120th); Driving Accuracy - 62.0% / (177th); GIR - 61.8% / (186th); Putting - 1.790 / (158th); Birdie Average - 3.52 per rd / (120th) / Total Birdies - 306; Sand Saves - 55.2% / (34th); All-Around Rank - 967 / (145th).
2003 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 28; Rounds Played - 79; in money - 12; top -10 Finishes - 0; money $368,163 Rank (146th); Best finish: T-13th at the Buick Invitational.
2003 Stats: Scoring - 72.37 / (177th); Driving Distance - 290.7 / (62nd); Driving Accuracy - 56.3% / (185th); GIR - 63.2% / (152nd); Putting - 1.792 / (140th); Birdie Average - 3.43 per rd / (135th) / Total Birdies - 271; Sand Saves - 49.2% / (112th); All-Around Rank - 1014 / (161st).