By Peter Kessler
Kenny Perry is not everyone’s favorite player, I know that. He basically didn’t show up for the majors last year, he improved his lie very clearly earlier this year; he made silly excuses when he blew the Masters this past spring. He is not entertaining by a very long shot in a game meant to entertain. He is not the fun bunny. But no one wants to see the guy implode today, or do they?
Early in their television coverage, NBC did not make it clear that Perry would not automatically win the Fed Ex Cup by winning the Tour Championship. It made the early proceedings confusing.
Johnny Miller said that Padraig Harrington was the best player in the world out of the rough yet his play from greenside rough yielded two recent “eights” in critical situations.
Jimmy Roberts said if Fed Ex had not sponsored the Fed Ex Cup there would be no Fed Ex Cup. No kidding.
I think I have it. If Kenny Perry wins the Tour Championship he wins the Fed Ex Cup if Tiger finishes tied for 3rd or worse. No wonder they didn’t tell us.
NBC’s worst dream looks possible after two holes. A romp by Kenny Perry. Fed Ex can’t secretly be thrilled either. Where’s the remote? How are the Patriot’s doing?
Johnny Miller. “Phil could be tough next year.” Next year?! Next year?! Next Year??
Stop already with the good plays! Stop. There are no good plays in golf. There are no plays at all in golf. There are good intentions. There are good strategies, well-planned shots, well-executed ones, bad shots, indifferent shots, stupid shots, hideous shots, embarrassing shots, and laughable shots. But there are no plays.
Johnny Miller on Sean O’Hair. “The best swing on tour.” Oh, boy.”
In six years of working together on Phil’s putting, Phil Mickelson and Dave Pelz have never worked on Phils’ putting technique. Are you kidding? They worked on reading greens and strategies but they never worked on how to putt? No way.
Now that Kenny Perry has stopped making 20 footers for pars is it possible that Phil and Tiger could end the season with the shootout we’ve prayed for for years?
It was hard enough to watch Kenny Perry miss shot after shot, approach after approach, only to save it with bombs on green after green, but now that the putts are missing…this is very hard to watch with both eyes open. I want someone to win it, not save it.
And now here comes Phil, putting like the genius we keep hearing he is but waiting for him to prove it. Every putt today goes in or looks like it might go in. Now that is the sign of a great putter-when it looks as though they might all go in.
Through 11 holes Tiger has no birdies and Kenny Perry has hit two of the 11 greens. Yike!
I love these 30 man fields. It means that statistically Tiger and Phil have a greater chance of head to head battles on Sundays. Same for Tiger and Padraig, and Ernie and Sergio and well, you get it.
Guys are starting to hit some poor shots (see, it’s not make poor plays!) on the back nine on Sunday at the Tour Championship. They feel some pressure. The Fed Ex Cup is gaining some traction.
Tiger and Sundays haven’t gotten along on more than a few occasions this year. We’re not used to that. Either is he. Get over it. He is.
Geeze, what a rough day for Kenny Perry. His whole game is gone yet his family is there smiling, the kid is on the bag smiling, Kenny is smiling, head held high like he was looking over the horizon. They haven’t forgotten that golf is a game, cruel sometimes, but still a game.
Every once in a while in final rounds Phil hits all the fairways with big bombs and hits precise approaches into little platforms on the greens. Three quarter swings. Crisp chips. He’s going to keep doing it today, you can tell. That’s my signal. I’m going out to play.
Two things Johnny Miller just said.
One. ‘Phil could be player of the year next year.” Gotta love Johnny.
Two. He said good chipping means the right hand works down through the chip.
I am going out to try that right now.
I am back.
Gotta love that Johnny.
It works!!!!