Golf - The Masters - Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 6, 2023 Fred Couples of the U.S. hits his tee shot on the 10th hole during the first round REUTERS/Mike Blake
Thirty-one years after his 1992 championship at Augusta, Fred Couples became the oldest player ever to make the cut at the Masters at 63.
Couples entered the third round at 1 over par after following his opening-round score of 71 with a 74 on Saturday morning at Augusta National Golf Club.
"That's why I come here," said Couples, who last made the cut here in 2018. "The last four years have been really mediocre golf. Maybe one year I was semi-close to making the cut. But that's my objective, and I did it."
Competing in his 38th Masters, Couples has hit 23 of 28 fairways and averaged better than 290 yards off the tee through two rounds. His 31 made cuts at Augusta rank third on the all-time list.
"When I get pumped up, I can drive it far enough where it gets them all excited," Couples said Thursday. "Last year I played -- I was really almost a cripple, and I was popcorning it. This year I felt pretty good. So I got it within 20 yards of them a few times, which is good."
After carding birdies on four of his last seven holes in the first round, Couples bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18 in the weather-delayed second round.
"Am I going to look thrilled to play 18 holes in this this afternoon? No, I'm a wimp. I'm an old wimp, but I'm excited to play," said Couples, a 2013 inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame. "I love the place."
Couples was ranked No. 1 in the world when he won his green jacket in 1992 for his only major championship. His 64 professional wins include 15 on the PGA Tour and 14 on the Champions Tour.
--Field Level Media
