Fred Couples Considered Not Going To 2025 Masters Tournament

The Master’s Tournament has a unique rule when it comes to enlistment.  If a player has won the tournament at any point, no matter how long ago it has been, they are automatically in the competition if they wish.  It doesn’t matter if they still compete in professional leagues or not.  If they have that win under their belt, they’re in.  Fred Couples is one such competitor and is looking to attend the Masters for the 40th time in his career.  With 33 years passing since his original win, he started asking himself if he was even wanted there anymore.

Where Is This Coming From?

The reason why this question came up is because Couples has noticed his performance waning.  Due to this he actively started asking himself if it was time to start hanging up the old clubs.  In previous years he easily got in the top twenty-thirty, in 2010 he finished in 6th despite being 50.  In 2023 he became the oldest player to make the 36-hole cut at the age of 63.  

It wasn’t until 2024 when he started feeling himself slipping.  He was cut with a score of +12, he was not happy with his own performance.  He would call his performance “really ugly”, and has said the biggest hurdle was his chronic back pain.  At the time he said he wanted to come back and stated “I’ve got to get my back fixed.”

Fred Couples Going Into The 2025 Masters

Fred Couples of course wanted to come to the Masters, but he still had visions of his 2024 Master rattling around in his head.  He was worried that the Augusta National’s Competition Committee wouldn’t want him in.  Despite his fears, he still pressed on and called the Master’s chief tournament officer, Steve Ethun.  In a phone interview with Golfweek Fred Couples revealed the conversation he had.

“I told Steve two things,” Couples said. “First, that I don’t want to embarrass myself. And that I’m certainly not going to embarrass Augusta National.

“Steve goes, ‘We already know that. We want you to keep playing.’”

“I can’t tell you how much my blood pressure went down.” 

Needless to say, Couples was ecstatic about this confirmation.  In the same interview, he revealed that he called his George Downing who was his caddie for the 2024 Masters. 

“George could hear it in my voice,” Couples said. “He goes, ‘Did you win the lottery?’ I said, ‘No, George. I get to keep playing the Masters.’”

Will Couples Retire After This Year?

Fred Couples is currently the oldest victor of the 90’s Masters, other golfers have stopped competing, and if his age is anything to go by, Couples would be next on that list.  Before the Masters, he will be competing at the Hoag Classic and the Galleri Classic.  The question of his retirement is still up in the air.  This season has been full of rumors about players looking to retire, caddies suddenly retiring, or players setting a retirement date.  Fred Couples is just the latest in this long list.  Practically speaking though, he is most likely to play his final tournament at some point in the near future.