MEMPHIS -- After all the years of believing in his golf ability and struggling with the results, Kris Cox experienced a day Saturday that put him in position to make it all worthwhile.

The magical reward could come Sunday.

No, the odds aren't the best that the 32-year-old, who has been to the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament eight times, will emerge as Sunday's winner of the FedEx St. Jude Classic. But what were the chances of him shooting 7-under-par 63 in a bogey-less third round at TPC Southwind?

"It was the best round I've ever seen him play," said his wife Beth, who on Friday decided to cash in some Frequent Flyer tickets and fly to Memphis from their home in Dallas.

It also was the best round so far in this year's Fedex St. Jude Classic, and it left him at 204, only one shot behind co-leaders Tim Herron and Tom Pernice, Jr. with 18 holes remaining. It was another example of the grit of lesser-known players and the people who believe in them -- Beth, for example.

"I thought, 'Hey, it's Memorial Day weekend and all my friends are out of town. I can't just sit around here and pout,'" Beth said. "About 3 p.m. Friday, I decided, 'I'm out of here. If he misses the cut, we'll just spend one night in Memphis and come back.' I was on a 5 o'clock flight."

The possibility of it being a short trip was pretty good, despite his 74-67 in the first two rounds. At flight time Beth, his wife of 10 years who works in medical sales, wasn't aware of the 67. Cox hasn't been very good at making cuts this year. This is his 12th event and only the third cut he's made.

As a result, Cox ranks 202nd on the TOUR money list with $45,624.

But he's a determined guy. After turning pro in the summer of 1996 after a solid collegiate career at Oklahoma State, he's toiled on the Hooters Tour, Tight Lies Tour, Gateway Tour, Canadian Tour, South American Tour, Nationwide Tour and the PGA TOUR.

In the fall of 2003, when he was heading off to Q-school for the seventh time a sympathetic neighbor offered an alternative.

"My neighbor had just gotten a management position with a title insurance company and he'd told me if golf doesn't work out, he had a position there for me," Cox said. "My wife and I talked about it and agreed that if I didn't get to the finals of Q-school that year, and at least get a Nationwide Tour card, that would be the end of it."

His wife, who he met in college, recalled those conversations, and said, "I would have supported his decision. I've always believed in him, though, and felt he had so much talent."

As luck would have it, he got a TOUR card for 2004.

"That was the defining moment for sure," Cox said.

Coincidently, his best finish that year -- and the best TOUR finish of his career so far -- was a tie for 18th in '04 at the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

"I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was to play out here," he said. "My game just wasn't refined enough, and I took it on the chin a little bit in '04. But I had a nice season on the Nationwide Tour last year to get back out here."

Saturday was a remarkably fulfilling day.

"I had been having trouble hitting the first fairway, but I made birdie there and I was off and running," he said. "As the day went on, I had to kinda check myself a little bit and try not to get too excited."

He added birdies at No. 7 and No. 9 to make the turn in 3-under 32. Starting at No. 13, he made four consecutive birdies to finish in 31.

Kris Cox won the 2005 Permian Basin Charity Golf Classic. (Greenwood/WireImage)

"The greens were a little bit softer (from overnight rain) and the wind was only about half as strong as it had been the first two days," Cox said. "So all that combined gave me a little bit of confidence that there was a low score out there."

Did he think he'd be the one?

"I have a tendency to look at the cut number and make that kind of my goal for the week," Cox said. "And that's really not the way to think about things. It's hard not to, though."

But look at him now -- challenging for the $936,000 champion's check. His career total TOUR earnings are $250,000.

"I really haven't ever had a chance to win a TOUR event," Cox said. "I'm 32 years old and I've been hitting balls since I was 7 or 8, and to finally get into a position like this is rewarding."

After sharing a cheerful embrace after the round, Beth said, "I had a good feeling about today, especially after that first birdie. After you've had so many bad days, you feel like 'we're due.'"

Was it THE day -- and THE round -- they've always dreamed about?

"If tomorrow goes well, it will be," she said, with a big smile, as Cox headed off to the autograph tent.