Masters co-leader Kenny Perry faces the defining moment of his golf career on Sunday, seeking his first major title while stung by past failure and concerned for his mother as she fights cancer.

Perry, who at 48 could become golf's oldest major winner, fired a two-under par 70 in Saturday's third round at Augusta National Golf Club to stand on 11-under par 205 after 54 holes in the year's first major championship.

"I'm in a great spot," Perry said. "I've got something that I can achieve that will move me up another notch. I go from a good player to maybe people starting to think I'm better than just a good player.

"I'm never thinking I'm a superstar but most people who talk about me say I'm a nice guy and a good player and that's about all you hear. So maybe things will change that attitude tomorrow."

Perry, who missed the cut in five of eight prior Masters, squandered his best chance in 42 prior major starts at the 1996 PGA Championship in his home state of Kentucky, losing a playoff to fellow American Mark Brooks.

"That stings. That one is still with me," Perry said. "I've carried that a long time."

Perry will face the swirling winds and undulating greens of intimidating Augusta National with thoughts of his mother Mildred, who at 77 is fighting cancer, and his father Ken, who started Perry playing at age seven.

"My mom is not doing very good," Perry said. "Mom has multiple myeloma cancer and has really been fighting it hard. We just got her out of the hospital again. She's really down. The medicine keeps her beat down."

So Perry and his father have nightly chat sessions after each round.

"He calls me up and critiques every shot on every hole," Perry said. "'What are you thinking about on that hole?' 'What's going on?' 'I know you can hit it better than that.'"

Eight months past his 48th birthday, Perry would be four months older than fellow American Julius Boros, who set the major age win mark at the 1968 PGA Championship, and two years beyond Jack Nicklaus as the oldest Masters winner from his 1986 win at age 46.

"My physical skills are not nearly as good as they were when I was in my 20s and 30s but I'm a better thinker and I have more confidence and a lot more belief," Perry said.

"I believe it's going to happen."

So great are the stakes facing Perry on Sunday that he actually refuses to imagine what it would mean for him to win the green jacket symbolic of Masters supremacy.

"I don't want to look there," Perry said. "I've got to stay in the moment. I've got to stay ready. This course is very difficult and very demanding and any other tournament when I've looked into the future and thought about winning, I've not had much success.

"I had a tough day. I didn't have my A-game. I was struggling. First shot I was nervous, pulled it into the trees, but somehow settled down and I was able to get into the round.

"Tomorrow, somehow, I need to get through that front nine with a decent score. It's going to be a big test for me. I'm looking forward to the challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing what I've got.

"This may be my last time to have this kind of opportunity, so I'm going to enjoy it."

AFP

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