Kenny Perry---Champion but NO Hall of Famer

[PEZGolf]

Kenny Perry did it again. We "grey hairs" love the guy. He now has 13 career wins, and says that his goal is to win 20!! Let me pose this question:

Suppose he does win 20, and NO Majors. Should he even be considered to be elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame?

My answer is NO way, since I feel a player should have won at least 2 Majors. That is why I say emphatically NO to Monty, and feel that Greg Norman did just qualify with 2 Majors. Tom Kite should not be in, and Davis Love III should not make it, or Lanny Wadkins (1 Major should not be enough).

Do you folks agree with me? Bear in mind that I do like and respect Kenny Perry and was thrilled at his performance last year in the Ryder Cup in his home state of Kentucky.

[PiKapp23]

Like you, I don't believe Perry should even be considered HoF worthy yet. However, I personally do not believe a player has to have won 2 majors. I think 2 majors and 20 wins should be a static criteria that puts a player in, but I think a player's overall contributions to the game should be considered. I don't remember the minimum criteria for HoF at the moment (and don't feel like looking it up), but I know there is a win minimum, years of service minimum and majors/Players Championship critieria as well. My thoughts would be 20/2 auto in (and I wouldn't consider the Players Championship as one of the 2). I would think setting a win minimum of 10/1 and then let the voters consider the players contribution to the game (things such as Ryder/Presidents Cup, international wins, quality of the events they won, etc.

I think Lanny Wadkins, Tom Kite, and DL3 all deserve HoF (with Kite being the biggest question of the 3).

[kafka01]

Hall of Fame - after his decision for the Open last year? - http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthr...4193&highlight;

No way...

[iacas]

He won't get to 20, so, not something worth discussing IMO.

Would have been a better topic with a poll, no?

[starchuk]

Great question. I can't say that I agree with the 2 majors, but I do think there should be a criteria. DL3 for example - his Ryder Cup, President's Cup and '97 PGA, 5 times at the Heritage, and the Players. That's alot left out of the 20 wins and 2 majors criteria.

For KP, we'll have to wait and see, but at this point, I don't think he's in.

If he wants to win 20 events, and he's at 13 right now.. given the 20 win criteria... There could be any reason for his entry into the HoF.

suppose he wins the next 3 events (Torrey Pines, Pebble Beach, and Riviera -all held US Opens) runner up at the Masters, and leads the team into the president's cup in San Fran and never loses a match. He's in.

I think that it all depends on what happens for the next 7 wins and his other accomplishments. Maybe we're seeing the Rise of KP.

[PEZGolf]

He won't get to 20, so, not something worth discussing IMO.

You are right. I have to figure out how to do a poll. The ones that have been done here have been very informative. I will work on it.

[Leonardite]

Hall of Above Average Pro? Absolutely.

Hall of Very Good Pro? You can argue that for Kenny.

Hall of Fame? Not a chance.

The Hall of Fame should be reserved for the best of the best, and shouldn't be diluted. Setting minimums like the 20/2 rule won't work, because what happens when ten of the wins are during the fields that aren't as good as others, and wins shouldn't be the only determinant for a sport like golf. Behavior, off the course behavior, etc should be taken into consideration (as in baseball, not the football HOF that lets in non-character guys). The character aspect comes to mind when he didn't play in the Open last year.

My vote is no, don't think it will ever change for Kenny. Like the guy, but Hall of Fame is a little out of his league. Are you really going to mention Kenny Perry when you rattle of names like Arnold, Jack, Tiger, Phil, Vijay, etc? I can't see myself doing this.

[I <3 Titleist]

Kenny Perry did it again. We "grey hairs" love the guy. He now has 13 career wins, and says that his goal is to win 20!! Let me pose this question:

I think anyone who can consistently go out and win tournaments like Kenny, and Davis Love, and especially Kite and Lanny deserve to be there. What about football owners and coaches, and players who never won Superbowls getting in to the Football HoF? Same concept, and it happens ALL the time.

[GaijinGolfer]

IMO, Kenny Perry does not deserve to be in the golf hall of fame. It seems to me like he goes more for tournaments that he knows he can probably win, instead of going for majors and competing against the best of the best.
I lost a lot of respect for him last year when he refused to play in the majors because the Ryder Cup was more important (I think he used some kind of excuse about how he didnt want it to mess up his stats and hurt his chances of making the Ryder Cup team) and last weekend he made some comments about how winning 20 tourneys is more important to him than winning a major.
IMO, until KP starts playing the majors and at least doing well in them, I have a hard time taking him seriously and seeing him as one of the best golfers in the world.
Youd think that, as a competitor, that you would want to constantly play against the best golfers in the world, but I guess KP is only looking at number of wins and doesnt care about beating the best of the best.

[Chilidipper]

Chi Chi Rodriguez is in the HOF. He has 9 career PGA wins and 24 senior wins or around those numbers. I think it's possible. Ben Hogan played "the Open" championship once, that doesn't seem to hurt him. Atleast I think it was once.

If Kenny Perry wins 15+ and then goes on to have an awesome senior career I think he will be in.

[rckwd]

Kenny Perry did it again. We "grey hairs" love the guy. He now has 13 career wins, and says that his goal is to win 20!! Let me pose this question:

IMO, I would have to say no. Not unless he wins 20 and starts winning some majors. But as you said, "WE" grey hairs love the effort he is putting forth.

[PEZGolf]

Chi Chi Rodriguez is in the HOF. He has 9 career PGA wins and 24 senior wins or around those numbers. I think it's possible. Ben Hogan played "the Open" championship once, that doesn't seem to hurt him. Atleast I think it was once.

Hogan played in one Open Championship, in 1953, at Carnoustie and won it and set these records in the process: 1. New tournament record 2. New course record He won four United States Open Championships, and is tied with Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, and Jack for the most in that category. He also won 2 PGA's ( 1946 and 1948) and 2 Masters (1951 and 1953). He is the only golfer in history to win The Masters, the United States Open, and the Open Championship in the same calendar year (1953). He could not compete in the PGA Championship that year because it conflicted with the Open Championship. Craig Wood, Arnie, Jack, and Tiger won the first two, but failed to win the Open Championship, leaving Hogan as the only one to accomplish the Terrific Three. No one has won all four Majors in the same calendar year.

[PEZGolf]

IMO, I would have to say no. Not unless he wins 20 and starts winning some majors. But as you said, "WE" grey hairs love the effort he is putting forth.

He is amazing. He reminds me of Ray Floyd, Slammin' Sammy Snead, and Hale Irwin, who were still winning as they got into their 40's.

[VOX]

In my mind, he pulled himself out of contention when he decided that he isn't a good enough player to even try to compete in all of the majors.

[PEZGolf]

In my mind, he pulled himself out of contention when he decided that he isn't a good enough player to even try to compete in all of the majors.

I agree with you. As others have written on this thread, to be in the Hall of Fame, you should be good enough to beat "the best of the best" in the Majors. But, you cannot do that unless you enter them.