www.globalgolfpost.com
APRIL 9, 2012
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA | The first time the
wide world of golf took full notice of Fred
Couples occurred in the 1983 Kemper
Open at Congressional. How could you not
pay attention when his then wife, Deborah,
leaped into his arms on the 18th green
after he completed the first victory of his
PGA Tour career.
Last week at Augusta National, virtually everyone on the pretty property could
have jumped into his arms after a dazzling
display of shot-making and clutch putting
in the second round Friday, leaving him
tied for the 36-hole lead with much overshadowed Jason Dufner.
That memorable day, Couples once
again captured the imagination of golf
aficionados around the globe when he
cruised around his favorite course on the
planet with a score of 5-under 67. It was
the lowest second round Masters score
posted by a man of his age, now 52 seemingly going on 32, and Couples became the
oldest player ever to lead the tournament
going into the final two rounds.
This was not the first time he had done
this. In 2010, he led after the first round
with an opening 66, then followed that
with a second-round 75. He played the
weekend in 6 under and climbed back to
solo sixth.
A year ago, in fact, he came in with a
second-round 68 and had the same 36-
hole score, 5-under 139, he took into the
weekend this year. Sadly, he played the
final two rounds in 1-over par and tied for
15th, in a group that also included Rory
McIlroy, apparently one of his greatest
admirers.
played in that event and tied for 31st, with
four rounds in the 70s.
Couples was competing in his 28th
Masters last week, so he obviously knows
the course, a huge advantage for a man
who can still hit the ball a long way when
his chronically balky back cooperates.
“I don’t feel too much stress,” he said.
“When you’re playing here, I’m not going
to let too many things bother me. It’s so
beautiful. You can’t say it’s your favorite
place and then break a club on the fourth
hole on Saturday. I just love the week. And
if I don’t do well, I leave with the attitude
of I’ll come back next year and do well.”
Couples was in prime position to win
two other Masters titles, but failed to seal
the deal, mostly because of a problematic
putter. He led after the first three rounds
in 1998 and tied for second the year Mark
O’Meara prevailed by a shot, with three
birdies in his last four holes. In 2006,
he was solo second going in to the final
round, shot 71 and tied for third the year
Phil Mickelson won the second of his three
green jackets.
Still, Couples insists he has no regrets
and would prefer to look ahead, not back.
When he was asked on Friday how his
overall career might be assessed if he did
happen to win, Couples smiled and said,
“They’d probably never see me again.
“It would be a walk-off. I am dead seri-
ous when I say that. What a way to go ... I
will never play another tournament – well,
I’ll play here.”
Cool. l
