He's old, trying to become the oldest, and on this Easter Sunday Kenny Perry might face the most pressure he ever has.48-year-old Kenny Perry—the 2009 Masters co-leader heading into the final round—was asked about the secret to his newfound success at an age when most players are on the decline, he cited a change of putters.
Here’s what the Golf Channel asked Perry after Saturday's round: “Three wins last year, one win this year...How have you gotten better with age?”
"This might be my last time to have this opportunity," Perry said Saturday, within the round of his life of winning his first major. "I think you just need to put yourself in these positions. You need to test yourself to see what's inside you. I admire the guys who wear the green jacket. I know how hard it is, how hard they fought for it."
Should Perry prevail, not only would he surpass Jack Nicklaus (46) as the oldest Masters champ, but he would be the oldest to win any major, beating by four months Julius Boros, who was 48 years and four months when he won the 1968 PGA.
He goes into today's final round tied with 2007 U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera at 11-under 205, with a two-shot lead on Chad Campbell - and not wanting to even think how the green jacket might feel if he gets the chance to slip one on."
"I'm not going to answer that until it actually happens," said Perry, who shot a 2-under 70 to Cabrera's 69 Saturday. "To me, I don't want to look there. I've got to stay in the moment ... stay ready. Any other tournament when I've looked into the future, I've not had much success."
"My short game is why it has happened. My putting has been a huge change. I've always been decent with the driver and the irons, but I've never been good with the flatstick. A gentleman gave me that putter at Bent Pine, my club in Vero Beach, and I've putted beautifully ever since he gave me this putter."
He knows how grizzled Cabrera is. The 39-year-old Argentine held off Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk to win at Oakmont, one of the hardest U.S. Open courses ever.
The man whose Spanish nickname - El Pato - means The Duck is huge off the tee and will be attacking the pins.
"What I learned is that I can win," Cabrera said, looking back two years. "I can win big tournaments."
He's not alone. Furyk, the '03 Open champ and one of golf's elite, sits three shots back after a 68. But the most dangerous names lurk in a 10th-place scrum, seven back: Tiger Woods (70), Phil Mickelson (71) - who will be paired together in a delicious convergence - and Anthony Kim (72).
If Woods - who came out of the box with just his 11th double bogey in 15 Masters - can pull this off in his first major after having his knee rebuilt, he will make history. This time, however, it may be too much to ask, even of a man who makes the impossible look routine.
None of Woods' 14 major titles has come after he has trailed through 54 holes. Not only does he find himself behind going into Sunday at the Masters, but he's seven shots back with nine people in front of him.
"It depends," he said. "If Kenny and Chad go off and shoot 2, 3, 4-more under par from where they are right now, it almost puts it out of reach for us. But if they come back a little bit or stay where they're at, we've still got a chance."
If Woods' confidence matches that of his playing partner today, who knows?
Said Mickelson: "I don't think I'm out of it by any means."
What he needs, however, is for Perry, Cabrera and all the other leaders to come back to the pack. Perry thinks Saturday's round will help prevent that.
"Today was a good test for me," he said "I didn't have my stuff for whatever reason. I fought hard, I battled hard. The first two days felt like I was on vacation. Today felt like I was on the job."
Perry was the only player to get to 12-under when he birdied No. 10 to take the outright lead but he missed an eight-footer to save par on the difficult 11th and went long on the par-3 12th.
Campbell, Perry's playing partner, ran into trouble when he found the back bunker on No.16 and double bogeyed.
"It's just a mistake you can't really make," Campbell said after his 72. "That's the only place on that hole you can't hit it."
Cabrera, who called it a "spectacular" round, birdied two of the last four holes to get into the clubhouse first at 11-under. Perry then had a chance to birdie the last but missed about a 25-footer.
Deep down, Perry, who thought last year's Ryder Cup would be the pinnacle of his career, really knows what this means.
"Most people who talk about me say I'm a nice guy and a good player. That's all you'll hear," he said. "Maybe that will change tomorrow."
Perry, meanwhile, strung together 11 consecutive pars until making his first birdie at the 12th, moving to 12-under par. Campbell joined him in the lead with a birdie at the 15th.
Perry could become the oldest major champion in history at 48 years, eight months and two days old.
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