20 years after Fred Couples made history with his win at the 1992 Masters, he still nows how it all could have came tumbling down at the par-3 12th, better known as Golden Bell.
In the final round while trying to maintain a one-shot lead, Couples locked in on the pin on No. 12. But the swirly winds by Rae’s creek took hold of his ball, leaving it to land short on the hill short of the green, slowly rolling to it’s watery doom.
But by an of Divine Intervention by the golfing gods, Couples ball stopped short, setting up a beautiful chip and a par save, and eventually a green jacket as well.
“The biggest break I ever got,” Couples said, the words coming out just as they did 20 years ago."For people who are players, you think, ‘I got to hit a good shot here,’ " Couples said. “For me, I was very, very nervous. I was trying to hit it over the bunker, which is really not something I like to do.”
20 years later, his play on Golden Bell has forever become a footnote in his history, and watching Freddy tee off there is likely to bring back fond memories. He finished tied 15th back in 2011, and opened with a first round 66 in 2010, so don’t count him out at Augusta by any means.
He’s still in red numbers and not far off the lead this year, not to mention owns the record for most consecutive cuts (23) and has 11 top ten finishes. Looks like he’ll make another, perhaps another jacket’s in his future?
“I could talk about Augusta all day long because anyone who has ever been there goes there and flips out. It’s my favorite week. I hope I feel decent to play another four or five years where I can go out and play because it’s that much fun. Everything for me runs around Augusta. It did in the ’90s and even the 2000s. I wanted to make sure everything I did, I was prepared for Augusta.”