Kenny Perry has managed to fly under the radar for most of his career but over the last 10 to 15 years his peers may have more respect for his game than that of any other player, not named Tiger. He is one of the longest and straightest drivers in the game and always ranks in the top 10 in greens in regulation. This blend of length and precision has made him one of the elite ball-strikers during the last two decades. On top of this, Kenny is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and someone who amateurs look forward to playing with in pro-ams.

If the average fan were asked about Kenny’s accomplishments, he would probably say something like, “Nice player—probably won 5 or 6 times.” Well, he has won 11 events, including three times at Jack’s Muirfeld tournament. He also is ninth on the all-time money list, has played on three Presidents Cup teams and will make his second Ryder Cup team this fall in his home state of Kentucky

I first met Kenny in college when he was at Western Kentucky, and I saw him in a playoff with Joey Sindelar, who was my teammate at Ohio State. I had never heard of Kenny and wasn’t prepared for him to make an effortless birdie and beat Joey on the first hole. Several years later, I was playing in my first Q-School finals and hooked up with Kenny for a practice round. I was blown away that someone who wasn’t even on Tour yet could hit his driver that long and straight. I remember hoping that I could improve my game enough that I could be as good as Kenny one day and have the total control of the ball that I witnessed in that practice round. As I look back on my playing career, I have rarely been impressed in a practice round but this round with Kenny still leaves a positive impression.

Golf is a funny game, though. In Q School, I finished in the top 10 and Kenny ended up missing the cut. It was humbling to look at the scoreboard and try to figure out how I had made it, and Kenny was still shy of getting on Tour. After my uneventful first year on Tour, it was his turn the next year. He finally got his card and has now been on Tour for 21 years, demonstrating fantastic consistency throughout his career. He will likely have the strongest-ever Tour playing record of a player in his 40s.

What can we learn from Kenny? His golf swing is both rhythmic and full as he makes an unhurried start and then finishes his backswing with a full and complete turn. His full coil and wind up allow him to stretch his swing and the fluidity of his tempo creates a flow that is the envy of his peers. He has an equally solid move through the ball that is free and rotates fully to the finish. The ball gets in the way of his swing and his acceleration of the club maxes out through impact.

Kenny also is one of the more balanced guys on Tour with a life separate from golf. He is a strong family guy and heavily involved in his small community in Kentucky, where he is active in his church and also in running a public course and giving back to his local area. This element of balance is often overlooked. But when golfers are freed up off the course, they are then freed up to play and perform to their best on the course. Kenny is an excellent role model for some of the younger guys as they adjust to the high-profile world of professional golf.

His goal for the year was to make the Ryder Cup team and play at Valhalla in his home state and he has taken care of this already with several months still to go. What’s more, Kenny should be one of the favorites to play well at Oakland Hills for the PGA and the final FedEx events and Tour Championship that will lead up to the Ryder Cup.

Kenny Perry: Great guy, Great swing, Great role model.

(Photo: Todd Bigelow/SI)