Franklin Templeton Shootout: Practice not perfect for Hoch, Perry

On the 16th hole, the pair, who held a one-shot lead after two rounds, forgot that they hadn't putted out.

With their mark still on the ground, both Perry and Hoch took practice putts, which resulted in a two-shot penalty.

It was an incident where the old adage, "Practice makes perfect," doesn't apply.

"Each one of us thought the other had putted out," Hoch said. "We had just a little tap-in but it would have been on their through line if we putted out. He thought that I did (putt out) and I just didn't think."

According to the United States Golf Association's Rule 7-2, a player shall not take a practice stroke during the play of a hole or between holes, except that, between the play of two holes, the player may practice putting or chipping on or near the putting green of the last hole played.

PGA Tour official Frank Kavanaugh assessed the penalty.

"In essence what they did is practiced before either one of them had holed out and had a score for that hole," Kavanaugh said.

The rare double-bogey in the scramble format dropped them to 18 under and out of contention.

Perry said the miscue was a culmination of a long day.

"We were just struggling and things were going south," Perry said.

"They made a long birdie putt and we forgot to putt out and we both made a practice putt."

To ensure speedy play and to cut down on delays, PGA Tour rules prohibit practice putting at all official tournaments. The U.S. Open is the only tournament where the players get a chance to check their strokes. The Shootout is not official, so practice is permitted as long as they had finished the hole.

Brad Faxon, who was in the group, was surprised that an incident like this hadn't happened before. The fact that Faxon made a long birdie putt didn't help matters.

"We don't get to practice putt much. I can see where that could happen," Faxon said. "We got excited when we made our putts for birdie and they probably thought they were out of it after that."

On the practice putt, Perry knocked in the 40-foot putt that they had missed. Hoch said they tried half-heartedly to say Perry's second attempt should count, giving the team a four.

"Both of ours did different things and that's what happened all day," Hoch said.

Hoch and Perry held a one-shot lead but saw it quickly evaporate when they were unable to get things started. After making birdies on the first two holes, the two hit a stretch of five holes where they made just five pars, which, in a scramble event, is like making bogeys.

After starting the round at 15 under, Hoch and Perry finished a disappointing 20 under and fifth place overall. The penalty only cost them one spot in the standings. In their pocketbooks, it cost $12,500 each.