For years, we’ve watched younger players obliterate Fred Couples off the tee at Augusta National. The distance gap? Sometimes a staggering 50 yards! Yet, the 1992 Masters champion continues to grace the course, defying age and expectations.
This year, two years after becoming the oldest player ever to make the cut, Couples opened his 40th Masters appearance with a stunning 1-under 71. This remarkable performance makes him only the second-oldest player to ever break par in a Masters round, a testament to his enduring skill and unwavering determination.
“Today is a hell of a round. I am exhausted,” Couples admitted, his voice brimming with a mixture of exhaustion and exhilaration. “I can play golf. I can play around here. If the weather is like this and not hard, I can – as long as I don’t do crazy things – I can shoot 73 or 4 or 5. That’s not embarrassing myself at all.” His humility belies the incredible feat he achieved.
Couples, just a month younger than Tom Watson was when he shot a 71 in 2015, relied on his intimate knowledge of Augusta National, a blend of consistent play and creative shot-making, and a touch of luck. His driving accuracy was phenomenal, hitting 12 of 14 fairways. However, averaging only 275 yards off the tee presented a significant challenge on approach shots, often requiring him to use two, three, or even four more clubs than his younger counterparts. Despite hitting only 7 of 18 greens in regulation, Couples’ masterful short game shone through.
His remarkable birdie on the first, a 48-foot putt after missing the green, was a highlight. Another birdie on the 9th showcased his precision, and the eagle on the 14th, a stunning 6-hybrid shot that landed perfectly in the hole, was pure magic. Couples didn’t even see it go in, celebrating wildly only upon hearing the roar of the crowd. “I thought I had enough to get over there, and then they went crazy,” he recalled, a smile in his voice. “It was fun.”
Last year’s Masters was a different story. Plagued by injury and the wrong club selection, he missed the cut. This year, however, Couples feels a renewed sense of confidence thanks to a strategic equipment change. “Last year, I had a bunch of cortisone shots and I was really – it was the most pain I’ve ever been in,” he explained. He now uses a set of clubs that better suits his current game, including four rescue hybrids, his first iron being a 7-iron. “Now I have a set of clubs I feel like I can hit around here,” he stated confidently. “If I did that today and come back with 70 or 71 tomorrow, the goal for me is to make the cut. Tomorrow may be different, maybe different shots. But it was fun. It was a very fun day.” At 65, Fred Couples is not just playing golf; he’s writing a legendary chapter in the sport’s history.
