The Official 'Double P' Blog

HONOLULU, HI - Ask Pat Perez about 2006 and prepare to hear one word repeated over and over and over again.

Frustrating.

Anyone who knows PP will tell you, the sixth year Tour player can't sit still. This is an energetic, focused, driven individual who is most at home Thursday through Sunday on a golf course, playing to win. Down time at the casa for months on end? An absolute nightmare.

A seven month bout with Tendonitis, sidelined Perez from August through the end of last year. Insult to injury came in the timing of the elbow flare up. Perez was a week removed from a t-3rd finish at the PLAYERS Championship at Sawgrass when things went south.

A few holes into his Thursday round at the Verizon Heritage a week later, PP withdrew before the turn. The next half year was spent resting, rehabbing and longing to get back to action.

Thankfully for Perez, in the 19 events he entered in 2006 he saw a top five and three more top fifteens. Of those 19 events, he withdrew from three due to injury, yet still found a way to haul in $719,507 in prize money, keeping his Tour card for a fifth straight season. He earned just under 1/5 of that today as t-10th paid $130,000.

It'd be presumptious to say things have come full circle after only one tournament, but if after a season-opening top ten finish, Perez could finally go on the run many have been waiting for. Having played the Sony every season since 2002, Perez finished t-17th, t-20th, t-31st and t-20th, before today. Last year, he failed to even make the cut.

Today's round of 66 was Perez's best effort at the Sony since 2005. His lowest was a 64 on Sunday in 2003.

Next up for the Tour, a stop at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, where Perez went lower than low with an opening round 60 last season. As of now, an appearance in the desert is "iffy" as he might take the week off to tighten up his game before heading back to his old San Diego stomping grounds in two weeks for the Buick Invitational, where his best finish was t-6th in 2005.

One down, several to go, but a strong opening to the 2007 season. Congrats, PP.