Breaking PGA Championship news: Kenny Perry withdraws with eye injury, so much for the Ryder Cup maniac

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich. - With Oakland Hills Country club shrouded in darkness and even most of the players who had to wait through a 90-minute rain delay on the way to their courtesy cars, Kenny Perry made a decision that rocked the PGA Championship. Perry - the focus of so much pre-tournament attention with this being the first major he’s played this year after skipping the U.S. and British Opens - withdrew from the PGA minutes ago.

Perry played his whole first round, shot a 9-over 79 and signed his scorecard despite showing up at the course with a scratched cornea in one of his eyes. But Perry just decided that he could not play on any more and phoned in the withdrawal.

Perry made some vague comment about having possibly scratched his eye a little on Tuesday. But he didn’t make a big deal out of it. Whether Perry hurt the eye further between the time he left the course and showed up for his tee time Thursday is still a big question. Perry isn’t talking about it - at least not yet. What’s certain is that Perry - the only man besides Tiger Woods who has won more than two tournaments this year - will finish 2008 having played 18 holes in a major total. His status for the Ryder Cup he focused all year on is now also very much in doubt.