“I had just continued to grind it out on the Nationwide Tour, then in Q School, and at the end of 2001 I got my PGA Tour card.”

Little known the next spring, Perks found himself in a spotlight few would have imagined.

“I tried to silence the critics who said that no one had ever won the Players Championship before in their first time,” Perks said. “My motto was, ‘Why not?’

“I played well, got a couple of nice breaks, and then those times when I got into trouble I was able to get out of it. It was a matter of being prepared and being confident enough to compete against the best. When I made the cut, I was very calm. I was able to just react to what I saw.

“I had no idea what I had accomplished at the time, and I think that helped.”

The New Zealand native played for the Cajuns in 1989 and 1990 after transferring from Oklahoma, earning All-Louisiana Player of the Year honors and placing 33rd in the NCAA Tournament in 1990.

“Coming from Oklahoma, the thing that struck me here was the comraderie of the team and the support they got from the community,” Perks said. “At Oklahoma, I must have met 4 or 5 boosters while I was there. Within the first month here, I probably met 100.

“There were a lot of foreign and international players at Oklahoma. Here, there were a lot of local guys, so I was the outsider. And, everyone opened up their arms for me. I had a ball.”

Perks, who met his wife Maureen at UL, said the talent pool in collegiate golf wasn’t as deep as it is today. A few key players like himself and future PGA Tour pro Mike Heinen could make a big difference.

“I remember the NCAA Regional Tournament in Dallas,” Perks said. “We played well and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Our talent pool was a little rough around the edges, but we had success.”

Raising his game from collegiate standout to a 15-year career on the pro tour required work, but Perks was prepared.
“Obviously,” he said, “it takes a lot of perseverance and sacrifice. You’ve got to have that belief in yourself, but also that work ethic. There are so many talented players who aren’t willing to put in the effort.

“I felt I had to work harder than anyone else. Every day when I looked in the mirror, I had a checklist of things I needed to do, and I checked them off. That got me through the tough times. I knew I had to bust my rear end, basically.

“You can have talent, but you’ve got to nurture that talent. Nothing is guaranteed. Nothing is given to you. Professional golf is based on performance, which is great.”

While no longer competing on the pro tour, Perks continues to nurture his lifetime love of golf.

“The thing that stays with you is the traditions of the game,” he said. “It’s a game that doesn’t change its dimensions, the height of the rim. And sportsmanship is a big thing from the earliest age. I love the solitude of play. You don’t have to get 11 other guys in order to go play.

“The game rewards the guys who perform to, or above, the level of their potential.”

For over 2 years, Perks passed on his wisdom in the game as Le Triomphe director of instruction before taking his current post.

“I gained a vast amount of knowledge talking to people in the game,” he said. “I think people are natural communicators, and that teaching is more art than science — in golf, at least. I gained credibility from my experience, by playing at a high level or surrounding myself with great teachers.

“You have to be able to decipher different personalities, and be able to communicate a wealth of information, whether you’re talking to a high level golfer or a casual player.”

The next challenge is to keep Le Triomphe on target for a bright future.

Ed Dugas, Coordinator
Athletic Network
athleticnetwork@louisiana.edu 
(337)482-0999