Kenny Perry Reveals He Quit Golf To Care For His Wife With Alzheimer's
The former Ryder Cup star hasn't teed it up since 2021 as his wife's condition has deteriorated
In a heartfelt interview, Kenny Perry revealed he gave up playing professional golf in order to care for his ailing wife Sandy, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
The 62-year-old turned pro in 1982 and picked up 14 PGA Tour wins as well as 10 Champions Tour titles but, with his wife’s condition deteriorating, hasn’t teed it up competitively since 2021.
Speaking on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, Perry said: “I'll let the world know... my wife's sick. I'm her caretaker and I'm going to take great care of her. Alzheimer's is a terrible disease. When I left the Tour, she could not even follow me on the golf course. I would chase her down going down the wrong hole.
“I was at the Senior Open two years ago, and it was a 36-hole complex and she ended up going off on the other 18 holes. So I realised right then that it's time for me to do something else. And it's all good, she's happy as she can be, she's in great shape, she walks me to death, she's hyperactive. But poor thing, she just cannot remember anything.”
"I realized right then it was time for me to do something else."Kenny Perry's wife, Sandy, is battling Alzheimer's, with Kenny right by her side. He talks about it with BK & John on Katrek & Maginnes On Tap. Hear the full interview on the SXM App.@bkatrek | @johnmaginnes pic.twitter.com/thK0UOreWQJanuary 4, 2023
As the search for a cure continues, the former Ryder Cupper accepts that all they can do right now is try to slow the disease's progress but added that he hopes to join the cause and help others who find themselves in a similar situation in future.
“That’s probably one area I’ll start being a spokesman for,” he said. "I’ll start looking into that and how I can help other people who have the same condition. I’m trying to figure it out.
“I’ve been to every doctor in Nashville and there’s really not a cure for it, it’s just trying to slow it down. That’s all I want to do so she’ll know her grandkids and know me and just enjoy the rest of her life. We’ve worked so hard to get to this point and I’d hate to see it where she can’t enjoy it.”
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A lifelong golf fan, Andy graduated in 2019 with a degree in Sports Journalism and got his first role in the industry as the Instruction Editor for National Club Golfer. From there, he decided to go freelance and now covers a variety of topics for Golf Monthly.
Andy took up the game at the age of seven and even harboured ambitions of a career in the professional ranks for a spell. That didn’t pan out, but he still enjoys his weekend golf at Royal Troon and holds a scratch handicap. As a side note, he's made five holes-in-one and could quite possibly be Retief Goosen’s biggest fan.
As well as the above, some of Andy's work has featured on websites such as goal.com, dailyrecord.co.uk, and theopen.com.
What's in Andy's bag?
Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub-Zero (9°)
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (15°)
Driving iron: Titleist U500 (17°)
Irons: Mizuno mp32 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (50°, 54° and 58°)
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Newport 2.5
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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