Fred Couples reveals not wanting to "embarrass" himself at The Masters after last year's horror outing

PGA: Masters Tournament - First Round - Source: Imagn

American veteran golfer Fred Couples is gearing up to compete in the upcoming 2025 Masters Tournament. In a recent interview, he admitted that he didn’t want to embarrass himself on the greens.

Couples started playing golf professionally in 1980 and played on the PGA Tour before joining the PGA Tour Champions. He has a total of 64 professional wins, including 15 on the PGA Tour and three on the European Tour. He also won the Masters Tournament in 1992 and came second in the 1990 PGA Championship.

The 65-year-old pro golfer spoke to Golfweek, admitting that he was looking forward to playing in the event this year but wasn’t sure if he was still welcome. He recalled asking Masters Chief Tournament Officer Steve Ethun if he could still tee off at the event even after his poor performance last year.

“I told Steve two things; First, that I don’t want to embarrass myself. And that I’m certainly not going to embarrass Augusta National,” Fred Couples said (via Golf.com).

Couples admitted that he felt relieved when Ethun said he was welcome to play at the Masters this year. He also recalled reaching out to his caddie from the 2024 Masters, George Downing, and breaking the happy news to him.

According to the Masters rules, previous champions of the event have a lifetime exemption and can continue playing in the tournament for as long as they wish to. Fred Couples has played in 39 Masters Tournaments and will return to compete for the 40th time on April 10 at Augusta National Golf Course.

Last year, Couples carded a total of 80-76 and failed to make it past the second round, calling his own performance "embarrassing" despite admitting that he struggled with back pain. Notably, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the event with a score of 11-under.