For a moment, it felt like a throwback to the early 90s.
At 66 years old, Fred Couples was turning back the clock at the 2026 Masters, climbing to 2-under par and sitting firmly among the tournament leaders at Augusta National. The 1992 champion looked poised to deliver one of the most remarkable opening rounds in recent memory—until everything unraveled in a matter of minutes.
The collapse came at the par-5 15th hole.
After a perfect layup left him just 90 yards from the green, Couples found himself in a position to attack and potentially move even further up the leaderboard. Instead, disaster struck. His wedge shot came up short and splashed into the water. Then, incredibly, he did it again—another ball into the pond. By the time the hole was over, Couples had carded a quadruple-bogey 9, instantly erasing his strong start.
“I laid up perfect,” Couples said after the round, still trying to process the moment. “I have no excuse.”
But the damage didn’t stop there.
Shaken by the collapse, Couples followed it up with even more trouble. His tee shot on the 16th also found the water, leading to another big number, and he later added a double bogey on 17. What once looked like a magical round quickly turned into a grind to the finish.
By the end of the day, Couples signed for a 6-over 78—a shocking turnaround from where he stood just a few holes earlier.
The moment was a harsh reminder of Augusta National’s unforgiving nature. Even one of the most experienced players in the field—playing in his 41st Masters—can see everything slip away in an instant.
Still, there’s something remarkable about Couples even being in that position. Competing against players half his age and briefly sitting near the top of the leaderboard, he showed flashes of the brilliance that once earned him a green jacket.
But at Augusta, history doesn’t protect you.
And on Thursday, one hole was all it took to turn a dream round into a nightmare.
