"For it to resurface now would be laughable if it didn't involve a good man's reputation being called into question due to insufficient reasoning."
Since Donegan's story Sunday and over 35,000 views of the video, a few writers have spoken out in Kenny Perry's defense. Steve Elling and Scott Michaux both say it's time to move on, that cheating was clearly not Perry's intent. John Hawkins also is fired up about Perry's reputation coming into focus.
The Perry situation didn't receive an ounce of attention when it happened at the FBR Open back in early February. For it to resurface now would be laughable if it didn't involve a good man's reputation being called into question due to insufficient reasoning.
Perhaps, but suppose a bigger issue is at stake here: the wink-wink, look-the-other-way blurring of certain rules that has become all too common in professional golf. (You know, the same sport where the guys don't need to be drug tested because they police themselves.)
After seeing the Perry video several players said something to the effect of, "that goes on all the time on the tour." (And we've all watched guys fix ball marks in their line without blinking, much less pointing out to their playing partner as a courtesy that they were performing major surgery on their line).
I point these out in the context of the Perry episode because I vividly recall as a young, impressionable lad, studying how tour players walked, dressed and behaved. For a few weeks after taking in tour golf at Riviera or Sherwood, I'd typically play better after absorbing the tempo, gentle grip and overall relaxed-but-focused demeanor exuded by such elite players.
Particularly fascinating was a player's care around the greens or when making a recovery shot from the rough or trees. Both situations provided unique opportunities to get close and hear the conversation with the caddy and to observe their actions.
Consistently I was always fascinated by the manner in which they treated their ball. It was as if a meteor had landed off the fairway and they didn't want to get too close until they had to bat the thing back into play. I remember watching many players gently approach the ball--maybe stare at the lie or delicately lift away a leaf--but always treat a live ball as something to be careful around. Practice swings--if they even took one--were often a bit away from the ball and the player was typically cautious not to be seen as testing the surface in anyway by pressing their clubhead down behind the ball. Furthermore, when that final moment arrived many would just barely lay the club behind their ball.
And again, I'd take this image of gentle club placement for a few weeks and that absorption of studied, careful and gentle demeanor would lead to better golf. Then I'd eventually revert back to old bad habits.
So it's with that image in my mind that I watch Kenny Perry pull his club and walk up to his ball, jabbing away like he's armed with a poker, trying to jumpstart some stubborn logs. And as you can see in this longer version of the playoff posted, the mashing does not occur at the address position, as many defenders have noted. It happens in the moment that he initially arrives, long before the honor has been established or the shot is actually addressed.
I hope the takeaway from this is not to demonize Perry. The event is long gone and we'll never know just how close that clump of grass was to the ball.
However, let's hope this encourages tour players to take the rules and club grounding a bit more seriously. In other words, to take the rules of golf more seriously.
Thursday, May 21, 2009 at 07:28 PM
Reader Comments (39)
Everyone needs to drop it.
-- It is permissible for players to repair a ball mark on their line of play on the putting green, and they are not required to inform their fellow competitors, even as a "courtesy." They WILL ask the guys in the group if the imperfection they are fixing is indeed a ball mark, happens all the time. To pose the conduct of tour players as demonstrating a wholesale relaxation of their adherence to the rules is irresponsible, and totally off-base.
-- When a guy is in the "rough or trees," the phrase "testing the surface" doesn't come into play at all. "Testing the surface" applies strictly to hazards. The reason they tiptoe around a lie in the rough, pine needles or leaves is fear of causing the ball to move--a violation they call on themselves every time it happens.
-- I don't know what he's getting at with his mention of practice swings. He can only be implying that players make their practice swings closer to the ball and don't care if it causes the ball to move, because they wouldn't call it on themselves anyway. This is idiotic.
In no way does Perry conclusively "press down" behind the ball. The idea of him doing this in front of millions of TV viewers and a huge gallery--a career-wrecking action if ever there is one--seems more absurd the more one looks at it. Remember, the player is permitted to ground the club to the extent that no more pressure is exerted than the weight of the club itself. There is no conclusive evidence at all he did this. Was the lie improved? No. The clump of rough remained behind his ball and he hit the shot fat.
Shackelford is a guy who understands the game only on a superficial level. He loves the IDEA of being a "real golfer," but has never immersed himself in it deeply enough to understand the things that matter most. He has not studied the rules and never will--it frightens and confuses him. There is a callowness about this particular blog that is truly disturbing, and it doesn't help that he yaks about it with a snarky "authority" he just doesn't have.
Inadvertent, or unintentional, as I am sure this was, it doesn't really matter.
I believe even Brandel Chamblee gasped.
You cannot improve your lie, simple as that.
By improving his lie, the player was able to hit the ball first.
Look at the video. This isn't about the player.
It is about the fact that you cannot improve your lie by the rules of golf, such as was seen on the video.
His lie was improved. Look at the video.
By lowgross' rules, a player could walk up with his driver in his hand and tap the ground behind the ball a few times before pulling the club he wanted to use.
There is no doubt that he pressed down behind the ball. You might be able to question how close behind it he was. But, if he wasn't directly behind it, then he definitely wasn't addressing the ball which means he could nothing which would improve the area of intended swing or the lie of the ball. The further behind the ball, the longer the grass would have had to have been for the ball to magically appear after his actions, so the more likely it would be that he improved his area of intended swing. Also, if he wasn't directly behind the ball, why is his right foot in the exact same place for the shot as before in relation to the shadow of the person behind him.
Put it this way. If Perry's ball had moved while he was asking who was away, would he have said that he hadn't addressed it yet? I bet he would. Given that, he definitely couldn't press the ground down when he did. Of course, if the ball had moved, he still should have been penalized because he did something which probably caused it to move.
I've looked and it is clear to me that grass was pressed down. What is not clear is where the pressed-down grass is in relation to the ball (when the camera angle changes and Perry starts walking towards Hoffman it looks to me like the pressing-down occurred about two-feet BEHIND the ball).
Geoff: 'Honor' applies only for the first stroke on the hole.
Lowgross: Testing the surface applies also to putting greens (Rule 16-1d).
>> You cannot improve your lie, simple as that.
Well, except for the last five "bullets" in Rule 13-2 (note: I am not saying that any of these apply to this situation; I'm just pointing out that 'as simple as that' is inaccurate).
Kenny Perry in this situation is to cheating as driving 56 in a 55 mph zone is to speeding.
Keep up the great work Geoff, love the blog.
I did not say a player could "tap" anything--that would be a violation as it would constitute exerting more than the normal weight of the club. That's sort of a cheap shot.
And let me add that, had Perry's ball moved while he was asking who was away, he absolutely would have incurred a penalty. He would be "deemed to have caused it to move" by grounding the club the first time, while assessing his lie.
What else may I help you with today?
RM--Excellent point of view. The camera angle changed and it really is impossible to glean for certain the before/after quality of his lie. A very slight shift in angle can provide a radically different, and erroneous, impression of the lie. This cannot be held up as strong evidence his lie was improved by his grounding his club--it would be thrown out of court.
Don Carlson--I realize one cannot improve the lie of their ball on the putting green--I didn't remotely imply a player can do that. Fixing ball marks does not constitute improving your lie, or even improperly fooling with your line of play.
Geoff Shackelford--Could you take three minutes and explain your "testing the surface" remark when the ball lies through the green? And why you're horrified by players standing closer to the ball these days when making practice swings, and why you recommend a players-caddie conference before a player fixes a ball mark on their line of play?
This is a good thread. It's fun...
Wow, nice to know I have such a fan coming from Golf Digest headquarters!
I'm horrified by players placing their club down behind the ball and testing or changing the dynamics of their lie. I know nuance can be tricky, but the point was pretty simple I thought. Perhaps not.
As for the part about players fixing a ball mark in their line. I never suggested they conference with their caddie. I suggested that in the not so distant past, you more frequently would see players point out to their playing partners that there was a mark they were fixing and get a nod of approval from their playing partner.
Give us a Wilton weather forecast while you're at it! And tell us what you're expertise in the golf literature community is, should you have the courage to sign under your real name.
Waitaminute,
Way to make no sense! Did you know Sherwood used to host an event in the 90s? It was called the Shark Shootout. Lots of good players to watch. That Nicklaus dude, Norman, Palmer, Floyd, Trevino, Irwin...good stuff. Or were you trying to make another point?
I got your point. I think it sailed over the guy at Golf Digest's head. Or maybe you've taken some writing work from him, because it sounded more personal than grasping the situation at hand.
Not much to add other than to say that if JohnV is who I think he is then there is very little else Lowgross may help him with today insofar the Rules of Golf are concerned.
Don Carlson--I realize one cannot improve the lie of their ball on the putting green--I didn't remotely imply a player can do that. Fixing ball marks does not constitute improving your lie, or even improperly fooling with your line of play.
>>
Lowgross, I didn't say anything about a player improving the lie of his ball on the putting green or anything about fixing ball marks.
You left out another way today's players have changed. Remember when their caddies used to hide their bags, stand in front of them or cover irons with a towel so other players couldn't see what club was selected? Now they all seem to have a buddy sharing system on par-3 tees where no one hides anything. Not technically cheating, but speaks to the mindset.
Players repairing ball marks on their intended line of play is OK. You are disturbed that they seek permission from their fellow competitors less, which really is a veiled accusation of a wholesale agreement among players to repair imperfections other than ball marks. Or at least loosen the interpretation of what a ball mark might be.
I cannot say that Perry "cheated" based solely on the tape. The perspective and the compression of the television camera lens do not ever tell the whole story. Our being able to see the ball better after he mashes his club down, does not necessarily mean that he improved his lie or line of play. I would need to know how close the club was to the ball, and that angle just doesn't illustrate that dstance.
Lowballs, Please why not use your real name if you feel so strong about your opinion?
" So he has a bad lie in the rough. What a playoff we have. Each player has a tough pitch. What type of shot will he play from the rough ?"
I'm not sure Jim, but as you can now see, he can hit the back of ball directly, as our viewers can tell. Remember how you couldn't see any of the ball. Now look. He put his club behind the ball and what must be fine wisps of grass have laid down.
" Well, we need to pause for a short commercial break and we'll be back in a minute. Stay tuned. You will not miss a single shot. We'll be right back. "
I'm not trying to suggest that it's OK to cheat but to suggest that it's dishonorable not to take every advantage offered to one by the Rules of Golf is poppycock and again, naive.
It's like the high handicapper who looks at me funny when I drop on the fairway after hitting into a hazard per line of flight rule instead of dropping it right next to the point of entry (in 6 inch rough). Or the guy who cannot beleive that scratch player like me would join him on a forward tee instead of the tips for our $5 nassau.
I refuse to believe that this takes away from my 'honor' or gives me any less of an appreciation for the game.
Question, you guys complaining about the pro tour: do you demand your companions mark their ball on the green? Cause of course it wasn't long ago when that wasn't a rule so careful you're not taking away from the intigrity of the game...I'm also guessing you're not using hickory shafts or gutta percha's either.
Now, I need to know what to do if I ever hit the ball in the fairway.
If i ever watched you do what kenny perry did in a tournament, i would call a penalty on you.
The Camera angle doesnt change during the 3 times perry jabs his club in the ground and with each successive jab, the ball becomes more visible.
If its integirty you want, play it as it lies. Do we need any other rules? Thick lie? Dont go jabbing your club behind the ball
Playing off scratch from the forward tees. Legal.
Failing to demand your fellow competitor / opponent (companion isn't defined by the ROG) mark his ball on the green. Legal. Perhaps not smart, but definitely legal.
Playing with something other than hickory shafts and gutta percha balls. Legal.
Improving your lie, area of intended stance or swing, or line of play (whether intentional or not.) Illegal.
I do not have higher levels of aptitude in golf but I am absolutely capable of reading the ROG and Decisions. They are very clear on this and essentially ever other situation if one just reads them and stops trying to read into them.
I wonder how many of us who are interested in this have actually read 13-2. Perhaps it would be helpful to have it at hand...
==================================================
http://www.usga.org/playing/rules/books/rules.html
13-2. Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of Play
A player must not improve or allow to be improved:
* the position or lie of his ball,
* the area of his intended stance or swing,
* his line of play or a reasonable extension of that line beyond the hole, or
* the area in which he is to drop or place a ball,
by any of the following actions:
* pressing a club on the ground,
* moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds),
* creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,
* removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or other cut turf placed in position, or
* removing dew, frost or water.
However, the player incurs no penalty if the action occurs:
* in grounding the club lightly when addressing the ball,
* in fairly taking his stance,
* in making a stroke or the backward movement of his club for a stroke and the stroke is made,
* in creating or eliminating irregularities of surface within the teeing ground (Rule 11-1) or in removing dew, frost or water from the teeing ground, or
* on the putting green in removing sand and loose soil or in repairing damage (Rule 16-1).
Exception: Ball in hazard - see Rule 13-4.
==================================================
Did Perry violate the rule? Absolutely IMO. Did he cheat? He says he didn't and I'm absolutely willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. This discussion doesn't have to be about cheating and I think it unfortunate it's taken that turn in so much of the commentary.
"I'm not trying to suggest that it's OK to cheat but to suggest that it's dishonorable not to take every advantage offered to one by the Rules of Golf is poppycock and again, naive.
It's like the high handicapper who looks at me funny when I drop on the fairway after hitting into a hazard per line of flight rule instead of dropping it right next to the point of entry (in 6 inch rough)."
If Kenny Perry was cheating than I would have to say it was a really brazen act. In a playoff, huge gallery, national tv and whatnot. It ignited a good conversation but I refuse to believe that what Perry did was cheating.
Marking and lifting on the green has been the rule for almost 50 yrs....with apologies to all the 50+ yr olds here, that does in fact seem like a "long time."
Play in a real tournament sometime choppers and then we'll talk, lol.
In the meantime, enjoy your lie in the rough 6 inches from the hazard on your way to 106.
Chop chop.
And good one, Jack.