Old Tennis Shoes
No Tiger tale: Why pipe dream Fred Couples can win the Masters
Fred Couples played the best round of his golf life, throwing up a 6-under 66 in the Masters at age 50 — and he's an afterthought. Such is life in the Tiger Woods sexting return Masters.
The tabloid terror who is two shots back was destined to grab the headlines — even if he'd been 20 shots back of the University of Houston's sudden putt-making machine. Couples — who could pass U of H legend Clyde Drexler in fame if he keeps this up — needed only 24 putts on Augusta National's notoriously fast greens. That's the fewest in the field — and it comes from a guy whose hair is much more salt than pepper, a guy who continues to keep up his no-socks, tennis-shoes golf outfit, a guy who's almost daring you to laugh at him.
"To win Augusta at age 50, would be a pipe dream," Couples said in the Masters interview room.
But when play begins this morning in a second round that has the impossible task of living up to arguably the greatest first round in Masters history, don't dismiss the old guy. OK, you can dismiss the really old guy — the 60-year-old Tom Watson, who is one shot back of Couples and one ahead of Woods and destined for a crash. (This is no British Open, Augusta is not made for Watson's current game. It was barely made for Watson's game in the era of Commodore 64. It's been 29 years since Watson won a Masters).
But Freddie ... well, despite his own protestations, there's a shot for Freddie. Kenny Perry should have won the green jacket last year at age 48. Watson should have won the British Open (on a course that fit his game) last year at age 59. It may be an iPad world now, but Magnolia Lane still gives Couples a chance. He's already posted the lowest round he's ever shot in 26 Masters (that covers 97 rounds of golf at Augusta). And frankly, the 66 didn't seem to be that much of a sweat.
Couples actually credits his switch to tennis shoes-only with relieving some of the back pain that plagued him for years. Of course, everything feels good when you're bending over to pick birdies out of the cup.
Kenny Perry is no superman and Fred Couples doesn't have to be one to be there on Sunday. Times have changed since you needed to be the greatest golfer of all time to win a Masters at age 46.