BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Shoal Creek is Kenny Perry's kind of golf course, and it showed last year.
Perry returns to the scenic suburban Birmingham course for the Regions Tradition starting Thursday, seeking to defend his championship in the first of the Champions Tour's five majors. For him, the lush trees all along the 7,145-yard, par-72 layout add more than a pleasant view.
"I like a golf course that's tree-lined," Perry said. "It kind of tells you what to do. It's just beautiful. It's just an old course and it sits out there in front of you and says, 'Come get me.