A controversy with legs

Kenny Perry cannot seem to turn the page on the controversy emanating from his playoff victory in the FBR Open, when he appeared to have improved his lie in the rough..

Golf World's Bob Verdi weighs in here, beneath the headline, "What's all the Fuss?"

Perry was asked about it Tuesday in his news conference as he defending champion of the Memorial. The transcript is here.

There there is this, from John Huggan in Scotland on Sunday: "During the recent Players Championship, I showed a recording of the incident to a prominent PGA Tour player. He took one look, snorted, and announced: 'Half the players on tour do that.'"

Perry need not apologize. His playing partner, Charley Hoffman, said there was no rules violation, as did PGA Tour officials. But there is a greater issue here, one that needs closer examination if "half the players on tour do that."

It's easier to exaggerate anonymously, of course, but if a substantial number of players indeed improve their lies, intentionally or not, isn't it incumbent on the PGA Tour to address the issue? And shame on those players who witness such incidents and don't point them out, a dereliction of their duty to protect the field.

-- John Strege