Perry: 'I know I can play'
Kenny Perry believes he is standing on the verge of dining at golf's top table as he eyes his first major title on Sunday at the age of 48.
With most players of his age looking forward to the steadier days of the Champions Tour just around the corner, the likeable Perry leads the Masters alongside Argentinian Angel Cabrera just months after playing representing America in the Ryder Cup for the first time.
Success is not new to the Kentucky native, with 13 PGA Tour victories already to his name, but he knows that pulling on the Green Jacket on Sunday evening will take him up the golfing ladder forever.
"We've got 18 holes to go and I'm in a great spot," Perry said.
"I've got something that I can achieve that will move me up the totem pole on the PGA Tour. I go from a good player to maybe people start thinking I'm a better player than just a good player.
Nice guy
"I'm never thinking I'm a superstar but most people who talk about me say I'm a nice guy and I'm a good player, and that's about all you hear. Maybe things will change.
"I know I can play. I've been there, I've done it and I've won some big tournaments. But I've never been in this kind of situation that often (at a major)."
Asked what a maiden major victory at the age of 48 years, eight months and two days would mean to him, Perry replied: "I'm not going to answer that until it actually happens.
"I just don't want to go there because I've got to stay in the moment. I've got to stay ready.
"This golf course is very difficult and very demanding and any other tournament, whenever I've looked into the future and thought about winning, going in on Sunday I've not had much luck. I've not had much success."
Cabrera will be calling on his experience of two years ago when he made the jump to major winner in the 2007 US Open.
"What I learned is I can win big tournaments," said Cabrera, recalling his victory at Oakmont. It's very important to have the experience of having played many, many times before.
"Certainly, it's a very big role, experience, on this course."
