AUGUSTA, Ga. — For the previous few years, Fred Couples, 65,has watched as youthful gamers proceed to outdrive him off the tee at Augusta Nationwide by 20, 30, 40 and even 50 yards. But the 1992 Masters champion has not let it deter him from exhibiting up and giving the course his greatest shot.
Two years after turning into the oldest participant to ever make the minimize on the Masters, {Couples} opened up his fortieth look by capturing a 1-under 71 — turning into the second-oldest participant to shoot beneath par in any Masters spherical.
“In the present day is a hell of a spherical. I’m exhausted,” {Couples} stated. “I can play golf. I can mess around right here. If the climate is like this and never arduous, I can — so long as I do not do loopy issues — I can shoot 73 or 4 or 5. That is not embarrassing myself in any respect.”
{Couples}, who is just one month youthful than Tom Watson was when he shot a 71 in 2015, relied Thursday on his course familiarity together with the suitable mixture of steadiness and creativity, plus a little bit of luck.
Off the tee, {Couples} was almost automated, hitting 12 of 14 fairways. However if you common simply 275 yards off the tee, the strategy photographs are the true problem, as {Couples} is commonly hitting two to 3 — possibly even 4 — extra golf equipment than his friends.
He hit solely 7 of 18 greens in regulation throughout Thursday’s spherical.
When he missed the No. 1 inexperienced lengthy and to the left, {Couples} was confronted with a tricky up-and-down from the brief grass. As an alternative of chipping it, he grabbed his putter and proceeded to make the 48-foot birdie putt.
On No. 9, he left himself simply 7 ft for his second birdie of the day.
On the 14th gap, {Couples} was 186 yards out and proceeded to hit a 6-hybrid that landed wanting the pin and rolled straight into the cup for eagle. {Couples} could not see it go within the gap, however he celebrated as soon as he heard the roar, kissing his membership for good measure.
“I assumed I had sufficient to recover from there, after which they went loopy,” {Couples} stated. “It was enjoyable.”
{Couples} stated that final 12 months, when he shot 80-76 within the first two days and missed the minimize, he wasn’t totally wholesome and did not have the suitable golf equipment in his bag to play what’s now a for much longer Augusta Nationwide at 7,555 yards.
“Final 12 months, I had a bunch of cortisone photographs and I used to be actually — it was essentially the most ache I’ve ever been,” {Couples} stated. “If I come right here and I can swing a membership, I play. It wasn’t terrible. I simply could not hit it far sufficient or hit it effectively sufficient.”
Now, {Couples} is relishing his new setup, which incorporates “numerous head covers” — as he has added 4 rescue hybrids. His first iron within the bag is a 7-iron.
“Now I’ve a set of golf equipment I really feel like I can hit round right here,” {Couples} stated. “If I did that right this moment and are available again with 70 or 71 tomorrow, the purpose for me is to make the minimize. Tomorrow could also be totally different, possibly totally different photographs. However it was enjoyable. It was a really enjoyable day.”
