At 52 Couples, would be oldest major champion by four years, oldest Masters winner by six
With a share of the second-round lead in the Masters, Fred Couples is threatening to become the oldest champion in the history of the tournament by more than six years. With a win, Couples, who turns 53 on Oct. 3, would become the oldest major champion by more than four years. Julius Boros won the PGA at age 48, four months, 18 days. The oldest Masters champion was Jack Nicklaus at 46 years, 2 months, 23 days in 1986.
“It’s a little bizarre,” Couples told ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi after he shot a 5-under 67 in the second round. “I just wanted to be competitive … It was a very, very magical day.”
With more than half the field in the clubhouse, Couples has the best score of the day. Couples made seven birdies and two bogeys on Friday, playing the final 12 holes in 5-under. He hit 11 of 14 fairways and 13 greens in regulation, and got around Augusta in just 26 putts.
Couples shot 68 in the second round last year before fading to 72-73 on the weekend, tying for 15th. He won the Masters in 1992. No player in history has a gap as long as 20 years between major championships.
Here are the oldest Masters champions:
Jack Nicklaus (1986) 46 years, 2 months, 23 days
Ben Crenshaw (1995) 43 years, 2 months, 29 days
Gary Player (1978) 42 years, 5 months, 8 days
Sam Snead (1954) 41 years, 10 months, 16 days
Mark O’Meara (1998) 41 years, 2 months, 30 days
Ben Hogan (1953) 40 years, 7 months, 30 days
