MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 6, 2026

Fred Couples

Quick Quotes

Q. I guess it would make sense you're the only player in the field who would have been here when Jack won in '86. This is your 41st Masters.

FRED COUPLES: Right.

Q. Pretty neat run you've been part of?

FRED COUPLES: Well, I've heard a couple stories, but everyone that doesn't know, it's my favorite golf tournament. It's given me everything I have.

'86? I was the only guy.

Q. Well, you're the only one in this field.

FRED COUPLES: Correct. That's wild. That's not really that long ago.

Q. 40 years.

FRED COUPLES: Okay.

Q. I think it his fourth Masters.

FRED COUPLES: Right. I'm going to put you on the spot, Vijay who I just played with? He wasn't here?

Q. Not in '86, no.

FRED COUPLES: Okay. Anyway, okay, yeah, that's amazing. I am old. I played with, let me tell you, Jake Knapp holy cow who I love and have never played with but we have always wanted to play.

I had him today and that was amazing how far he hits it. So now I can see how the course used to play. Today was cooled down. I played yesterday. It was really, really nice. And actually it doesn't matter. I felt pretty good about the way I played, and today was pretty scrappy; so I got a lot of work tomorrow.

But like I say, there is so many people here that have played and I will never embarrass myself or Augusta, so I plan on doing well this year.

What does that mean? We'll find out. But I know if it I get it around I'll be fine.

Q. Did you see the woman who won the ANWA on Saturday where she hit it on 12?

FRED COUPLES: Yeah, and we talked for 15 minutes. She's a sweetheart. I did see that. Then I told her the biggest thing she did, that little putt that everyone -- I said I don't know how you read that, but everyone misses it to the right. I'm tired of missing it to the right and you poured it right in the middle.

She's adorable.

Q. The little par putt?

FRED COUPLES: Yeah, the little par putt. Little. None of them are little. At that time she didn't know what was going to happen 20 minutes later, but she's a doll.

Q. Yeah.

FRED COUPLES: Yeah.

Q. You played three?

FRED COUPLES: Three what?

Q. Holes.

FRED COUPLES: No, we played the front nine, 10, 15, 16, 17, and 18. We talked Vijay into playing a few more holes with us. We had a little money game.

Q. What will you do tomorrow?

FRED COUPLES: Tomorrow I am taking the whole day off and I am going to come out and putt and hit balls, hopefully at a warm time. Today it just -- I have not been playing a whole lot. Tucson and Newport. I was not feeling great for about seven or eight weeks after our Hawai'ian tournament and I didn't touch a club practice.

I picked it up pretty fast, but it's a different ball of wax trying to pick up a club at Augusta. I drove it okay yesterday; pretty long. It was warmer and different. Today was a lot of woods into these greens.

Q. Reaction when you heard about Tiger? Have you reached out to him? Do you think he is in a place he needs to be?

FRED COUPLES: Do I think he is in a place he needs to be? I don't know where that is, but, yeah, I think -- where is he, in Switzerland? If he's in Switzerland he must be at a spot that's going help him and that's the key thing.

I have not been texted him as much, but I still get little replies. After the car accident I texted him a couple three, four days later and that's when I think four days after that or four days after that I found out he was going there.

Probably won't see him for a few months, and then if he comes back or when he comes back, hopefully we can keep in touch. But it's a very interesting subject for me. People always ask me about Tiger. When I text him I always ask about his kids and how he's feeling. I don't ask him about his golf game. I don't ask him about Sunday Red. I don't ask him about anything.

He always replies and I think he likes that. For me now to get involved with this would not make much sense. Doesn't mean I'm not paying attention, but for me we're completely different people. We're more online with I have a lot of respect for him, and if I could spend a week with him, I might enjoy that more than he would if that makes my sense.

Because being around him is a treat for me.

Q. What would you tell him?

FRED COUPLES: What would I tell him? I tell him I love him and things can always get better. Again, how many, surgeries? Ten or twelve surgeries? I don't know any human being -- let me tell you something. I used to snap at everyone. Felt like someone was tapping me on the back all day long. After eight to ten hours you just can't take it. It's like a toothache.

This guy has had surgeries. I have a bad back. I've gotten through that since I was 32. But to have surgeries and not know the pain, you know, I didn't know Bill Walton, but saw his 30 for 30 and he wanted to commit suicide. Pain is a rough thing.

Q. Did he give you any indication before all this that that he might play? Had you been in touch about a practice round or anything?

FRED COUPLES: No. No. I did say, loved watching you play the TGL. That's it. I am not going to say, oh, does what mean you're playing Augusta? Is that would mean buh-bye, I don't need to talk to you much anymore.

Q. So he would initiate it if he wanted to, say let's play a practice round?

FRED COUPLES: For sure. No, for sure.