Former champion Bernhard Langer believes he can become the oldest major champion by a decade and claim an incredible third Masters title at the age of 58.
Langer, who won his first Green Jacket 31 years ago and the second in 1993 just three months before defending champion Jordan Spieth was born, utilised all of his experience to card a third-round 70 despite the windy conditions at Augusta National.
That left the former Ryder Cup captain just two shots behind Spieth and in contention to surpass the 48-year-old Julius Boros (1968 US PGA) as the oldest winner of any major - Jack Nicklaus was 46 when he became the oldest Masters champion in 1986.
"I've been saying it's going to happen sooner or later," Langer said.
"The guys are staying fit. They are more athletes. They are taking care of themselves. We see it amongst the young guys, but as they get older they are going to be in better shape. And it's just a matter of time.
"We have guys like Davis Love, Vijay Singh and Fred Couples who are all long enough to win majors. I'm not in that category but I try to make up for it in others and tomorrow I'm going to give it my best. That's all I can do. It would be one for the old guys."
Watch Bernhard Langer's 2-under-par 70 in under 3 minutes. #themastershttps://t.co/AEwyTDL3DY
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 9, 2016
Tom Watson, who made his last Masters appearance this week, famously lost a play-off for the Open at Turnberry at the age of 59 and Langer added: "Tom almost had it once, but I know almost doesn't count. He was extremely unfortunate not to win that tournament, but it's just how it ended up.
"I believe I can win. Obviously it depends how the others do. If I play my best, I can shoot four or five under tomorrow, I think, if the conditions are a little bit better. But so can Jordan Spieth or any of the others on the leaderboard, so it all depends how the rest of the other guys in contention do."
Playing partner and world number one Jason Day was constantly 50 yards past Langer off the tee, but shot 71 to Langer's 70 and said: "That was just so impressive to watch. When you consider some of the positions he is playing in from compared to where I was, it was unbelievable.
"If I think back to 10, I had 120 yards to the pin and he was at least 60, maybe 80 yards behind me. He plods along and knows his strengths and weaknesses. I could tell how gritty he is and how much of a competitor he is. He is a true professional in that regard and I know that he really wants to compete and try to win this thing tomorrow, but then so do I."
Langer, who battled the "yips" several times during his career, still uses a long putter but no longer holds it against his chest after the ban on anchored strokes came into effect on 1 January.
"I've tried all sorts of putters, different lengths, different grips," he added.
"I probably have 25, 30 new putters at home the last three months with different grips. I tried this way, I tried that way, regular, cross-handed, and some of them work pretty decent.
"But at this moment in time I'm still the most comfortable by just not anchoring because I've done this for 18, 19 years now. It's difficult to change something that quick."
