Sunday, April 12, 2009

Don't cry for Kenny Perry

Kenny Perry doesn’t want us to feel sorry for him.

He cares too much about too many other more important things – he donates five percent of his earnings to a school in Kentucky – to wallow in the disappointment of a great chance missed.

Still, you had to feel for the guy who was two solid holes away from winning the Masters and having a place at the annual champions dinner for as long as he could make it.

He had a chance at the 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla in his home state of Kentucky and kicked it away.

This one was different but it felt the same.

“I’ve got two to think about now,” Perry said Sunday evening. “I was young at Valhalla. Here, I thought I had enough to hang in there. But I’m proud of how I played. I just kept chugging along.”

Rather than point to a specific shot that cost him, Perry said he didn’t putt well enough through the week to win. He did putt well enough. He just needed to make one more putt.

He would like to have the three-putt par at the 13th back and he’d like to have the chip shot from behind the 17th green over. When he’s under pressure, Perry’s right hand tends to fire too quickly on finesse shots. It caused him to skull two chip shots in his playoff win at the John Deere Classic last summer and it happened again Sunday at the worst possible time.

He could have putted the ball behind 17 but didn’t because he hadn’t done that well during the week.

On the 72nd hole, Perry had the putt you live for – a 10-footer to win the Masters from a spot where so many have done it before. Knowing what he needed to do, Perry hit the putt too softly.

He caught a bad break on the second playoff hole when his tee shot picked up a glob of mud on the ball. Unable to hit the one shot that would end it all, Perry let it all gradually slip away.

Surely, he’s disappointed. But he smiled Sunday night, said he was going to have fun and you halfway thought he meant it.

There are plenty of things we can be concerned about. Kenny Perry isn’t one of them.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, but I was pullin for him to do it. He has more than paid his dues. I am dissappointed, but he did play one heck of a tournament.

Anonymous said...

Ron, great story but champions prevail when called upon and Kenny, for use of a better word, choked.

Anonymous said...

These "athletes" really put on a show. With their guts hanging over their belts huffing and puffing their way through extra holes.

Anonymous said...

These "athletes" really put on a show. With their guts hanging over their belts huffing and puffing their way through extra holes.

Then why were you watching...maybe because the good ole boys of nascar were not running....obviously you know nothing about the great game of golf

Anonymous said...

golf is the hardest game invented and those that use the word "CHOKE" likely have never stood over a putt to win anything. Victory at the Masters would have change Kenny's life to be known as one of the greats!

Kenny was human and we watched him fail and it happens in slow motion in golf, unlike any other sport.

Anonymous said...

"Failing in slow motion" is not an accurate synopsis of why Kenny choked and yes he indeed did choke. Call it what you may, but is was a classic choke all together. Again champions prevail and I assume all others who do according to your synopsis are mortals.

Anonymous said...

name another sport that takes 20 to 30 minutes to play 2 holes......and a total of 8 to 10 shots? No other sport has that type of time lapse where the variables come into play rather than allowing you to react.

Not baseball....not basketball, not tennis, nothing compares to the pressure of golf.

Yep...Kenny was mortal....and 8 months ago you were cheering him on at the Ryder Cup!