Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples thrill crowds but miss Masters cut

AUGUSTA, Ga. — It was 32 years ago that Fred Couples slipped a green jacket onto Germany’s Bernhard Langer for a second time.

On Friday at Augusta National Golf Club, the aging former champions gave patrons plenty to cheer for while both battled to make the cut.

Langer, 67, previously had announced that his 41st start in the Masters would be his final one. After making three birdies and one bogey in his first 12 holes of the second round, he seemed to be in good shape to stick around for two more days.

But then Langer’s third shot on the par-5 15th hole spun off the green and into the water. He made double-bogey and was 2 over, which was the projected cut line. After making consecutive pars on Nos. 16 and 17, Langer’s approach was left of the final hole. His ball stopped among the patrons. He chipped to about 10 feet and had to make a par putt to make the cut.

Langer’s ball slid past the hole on the high side. He missed the cut by one stroke at 3 over.

Patrons encircling the 18th green gave Langer a standing ovation as he walked toward the clubhouse with his wife, Vikki Carol, to sign his scorecard one last time. His youngest son, Jason, was his caddie this week.

“It was a very special last two days for me, even starting off walking to the first tee yesterday, I got a standing ovation and the people really, you know, applauded,” said Langer, who would have become the oldest player ever to make a cut in a major. “I almost teared up and almost started crying right there, and I said, ‘Come on, get it together, you’ve got some golf to play.’ It kind of kept going. There were lots of standing ovations throughout the golf course in various spots.”

Langer said he wondered once or twice this week whether he should continue playing in the Masters in future years — past champions receive lifetime exemptions — but he decided the course is too long for him now.

“There were times [in the] last couple days when I thought, ‘You know, did you make the right decision here, or should you have waited another year or two with your last Masters?’ Because I was, you know, playing quite well and very smart.”

Couples, 65, gave himself a good chance to make the cut by opening with a 1-under 71 in the first round. He was only the second golfer aged 65 or older to break par in a round at the Masters (Tom Watson, 65, carded a 71 in the first round in 2015).

But Couples struggled in the second round with six bogeys and one birdie and posted a 5-over 77. He finished 4 over after 36 holes.

“It was not good,” Couples said. “It was not awful. I could have shot 73 and I could have shot 80. How about that? And I kind of shot right in between because I made a couple putts. But I’m not upset about anything. I tried as hard as I could, and let me tell you, it’s a hard course.”

Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, said he plans to compete in next year’s tournament.

“As soon as I get in that car and drive out Magnolia Lane and come back tomorrow and have a nice lunch, I’ll be fine,” he said. “The goal is to make the cut at my age. I didn’t, and I’m kind of spinning my wheels thinking just why it was so mediocre.”

Fifty-three players made the cut of 2-over 146.

Past champions Dustin Johnson (3 over), Sergio Garcia (4 over), Mike Weir (4 over), Phil Mickelson (5 over) and Adam Scott (5 over) also went home early.

Other notable players who missed the cut included Russell Henley (3 over), Keegan Bradley (3 over), Tony Finau (4 over), Sepp Straka (5 over), Billy Horschel (5 over), Cameron Smith (6 over) and Will Zalatoris (8 over).

Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, was 1 over with four holes to play. On the par-5 15th, he hit his drive into the trees on the right. After punching out of the pine straw, his approach found the green but his ball spun back into the pond. He made a double-bogey 7 to fall to 3 over.

Mickelson’s tee shot on the par-3 16th found the water again. He made a bogey to fall to 4 over. Another bogey on the 18th dropped him to 5 over.

“I really thought I was going to play well and get right in it,” Mickelson said. “I haven’t missed very many cuts here, and I’m surprised that I missed one this year because I was playing really well heading in.”

Even Koepka wasn’t immune from the late carnage at Augusta National. The LIV Golf League captain was 2 over heading into the 15th. From 230 yards away, he knocked his approach to 3 feet and made an eagle putt to get back to even.

After another par on the par-3 16th, Koepka’s approach shot on No. 17 rolled back 45 feet from the cup. He chipped to 12 feet and missed the par putt for a bogey.

On the par-4 18th, Koepka yanked his tee shot into the woods down the left and couldn’t find his ball. His approach on his fourth shot was long and stopped in the gallery of patrons behind the green. He chipped to 12 feet and three-putted from there, missing a 4-footer. The quadruple-bogey 8 left him at 5 over.

Koepka, who has three PGA Championship wins and two in the U.S. Open, has finished outside the top 25 in each of his past six major championships.

Cameron Young‘s missed cut was equally as painful. The former PGA Tour Rookie of the Year carded an even-par 72 in the first round and was 2 over after 15 holes Friday.

On the 16th hole, Young pushed his tee shot into the gallery of patrons on the right. He chipped to 12 feet and missed the par putt — and then inexplicably missed tap-in putts of about 1 foot and 1 ½ feet while rushing. He marked his ball and made a 2-footer for a triple-bogey 6.

On the par-4 17th, Young missed a 7-footer for another bogey to fall to 6 over. He hit his tee shot on the 18th into trees down the right, leading to another bogey. He finished 7 over.

Source: espn.com