Fred Couples, 63, becomes oldest player to make cut at Masters

Thirty-one years ago, Fred Couples took home his lone major championship: A Masters victory.

That earned him a lifetime invite to future tournaments at Augusta National, and like most, he takes advantage of the opportunity.

He took it a step further this year. At 63 years, six months, and five days, he became the oldest player to make the cut in the Masters.

Couples finished up his second round early Saturday morning to be +1 for the tournament, making the cut by two strokes.

The 63-year-old shot a 1-under 71 in the first round, followed by a 74 in the second.

This is Couples’ 38th Masters appearance, and it’s another record for him. He, Gary Player and now Tiger Woods all share the record for most consecutive cuts made at Augusta with 23.

“That’s why I come here,” Couples said after round two. “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. . . .

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“I can’t compete with Viktor Hovland or Jon Rahm or anybody, but I can compete with myself, and that’s really why I come. That’s what I like to do is make the cut here at an older age.”

Couples is paired with Seamus Power and Mackenzie Hughes for the third round, in which he entered 13 shots back of leader Brooks Koepka.

Couples won the Masters in 1992 with a score of -13. He entered that final round one shot back of Craig Parry, who then shot a 78 on Sunday to finish T-13. Couples wound up winning by two strokes.