AUGUSTA, Ga. — Fred {Couples} is enjoying within the Masters for the forty first time, however he would not keep in mind hitting the water twice in a row on the par-5 fifteenth gap with a wedge in hand.
A quadruple-bogey 9 on what’s historically the third best gap at Augusta Nationwide spoiled what regarded like an incredible opening spherical for the 1992 Masters champion.
“It was an ideal layup,” {Couples}, 66, stated Thursday. “I had 90 yards, so I needed to carry it 85 and 5. Generally when you do not attempt to hit a great shot, you neglect what the hell you are doing. There is no excuses. I simply did not hit it far sufficient.”
{Couples} was on the leaderboard at 2 beneath when his spherical utterly collapsed, amongst different stars lower than half his age.
{Couples} hit a 9 on the fifteenth, then his tee shot rolled into the water on the sixteenth, and he made double bogey on that gap and the seventeenth to complete with a 78.
“Regardless of how outdated you’re, you continue to need to hit photographs,” {Couples} stated. “Issues like that occur. I am not going to run away. If I did that at 35, I would be mad at everybody. You, you, you. And I’d have run proper to the aspect and instructed you to get out of my life.”
So how does he really feel heading into Friday’s second spherical?
“You simply must do the identical factor, however you won’t have the ability to end 10 over in two holes, it doesn’t matter what you do,” {Couples} stated.
He wasn’t the one one to place up huge numbers with No. 15. Robert McIntyre additionally had two in his drink and hit 9. So did Danny Willett, one other former Masters champion.
It was the primary time because the second spherical (additionally No. 15) in 1998 that no less than three 9s had been recorded on a single gap on the Masters.
There have been additionally 4 double bogeys on Thursday’s holes. His scoring common for the day was over 5.121, making it the one par 5 performed over par.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
