(Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
As we look out at the those golfers still in competition heading into the final round of the Masters, it's very hard for me to over look the man tied for the lead, Kenny Perry.
Perry sits atop the leader board at 11 under par, American born and raised, leading arguably the most prestigious tournament in his chosen profession. At 48 years of age, his success did not come without challenges for the young man from Franklin, Kentucky.
He turned pro in 1982 and set out for Q-School in an attempt to get his PGA Tour Card. In his first attempt he missed the qualifying score by just one stroke and the following year his wife went into labor during the fourth round. Perry exhausted his initial sponsors, a group of 20 mostly from Franklin, in his first two attempts at Q-School and playing on the minor tours.
In 1985, in his 3rd attempt at Q-School, he finally qualified for his PGA Tour Card. Perry had found a new sponsor that year, a local Franklin businessman who had asked for a percentage of his earnings rather than a repayment on the loan. They agreed on 5% and Perry, that is paid in a scholarship to the businessman's alma mater Lipscomb University.
Since then Perry has had a successful career by all accounts for a PGA Tour Professional. He has won 13 times on tour, and is currently the all time leading money winner not to have won a major tournament. He has competed twice for the United States in the Ryder Cup, including the 2008 champions. Along with Tiger Woods, Perry is the only person to win Jack Nicklaus' tournament three times.
All he lacks now is a Major Championship.
His best finish was 1996 when he lost in a playoff to Mark Brooks at the U.S. Open. Which brings us to this afternoon, and his run to greatness. On top of the everything he is also a family man who is never in the news for the wrong reasons.
His play this week has put him in a position to become the oldest golfer ever to win a major title. He would pass Julius Boros by four months if he were to win at Augusta today. He would also pass Jack Nicklaus' record for the oldest players to win the Masters.
There is always the good underdog story of the man past his prime pulling it together one more time on the main stage.
There is also an emotional side to the story. His mother is currently battling multiple myeloma cancer. She recently returned home from a stay in the hospital.
Would anything be better for him than to bring home a Major Championship on Easter?
For those of you that think golf is boring without Tiger in the running, hopefully Kenny Perry will give you something else to cheer for this afternoon. Just maybe, if we are lucky he'll be wearing the Green Jacket later today.
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