Of all Dan Jenkins’ best-selling novels–the one closest to my heart is Dead Solid Perfect. It’s the fairytale story of golfer Kenny Lee and his improbable run to the U.S. Open Championship. Like all of Dan Jenkins books it has life and romance interwoven into the storyline.
After selling the rights to Hollywood for the making of Semi-Tough, Jenkins swore never again would he allow a screenwriter to change his story into a film adaptation of his work. If I remember correctly…he almost or did sue the producers of Semi-Tough for butchering his story.
Consequently, Jenkins wrote the film adaptation for Dead Solid Perfect and was involved in the production of the movie as well.
As with all Jenkins stories the characters breathe both comedy and heartache to the story.
The main characters in Dead Solid Perfect are Kenny Lee, Beverly Tidwell (his wife and the most liberal young woman in Ft. Worth), Bad Hair Wimberly (his oil ‘bidness’ tour sponsor), Spec (his ever loyal caddie), Jani Ruth Rimmer ( his girlfriend after Beverly walks out on him), and Donnie Smithern (his one time best friend on the tour).
In the end you probably need to be at least a casual golfer like I am to enjoy the story from a golf and life standpoint.
But as in all Dan Jenkins novels there’s a love story interwoven into the storyline.
Who would have ever guessed Dan Jenkins was a hopeless romantic.?
Here’s the opening of Dead Solid Perfect and Kenny’s initial meeting with his soon to be sponsor Bad Hair Wimberly.