Winner: Fred Couples, Steve Stricker prove age isn’t a big factor at Augusta
It’s fitting that Couples had such a big impact at Augusta in the first Masters contested without The King, Arnold Palmer.
One of golf’s most beloved figures for years, Couples, now 57 years of age, drank from the Fountain of Youth this weekend to produce a tremendous four-round performance score of 289, tied for 18th place.
As a one-time champion and an 11-time top-ten finisher at Augusta, strong play on this course isn’t something new to Couples. However, he had previously missed his last two cuts at the Masters, making this year’s performance all the sweeter.
Watch Fred Couples almost hole out from 171 yards on No. 18. #themasters pic.twitter.com/E0HCs6lWPj
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 7, 2017
Stricker, who is 50, also had a fantastic tournament and finished it off in style with a final-round 68. The four-under-par round set him up at even par overall — one shot better than Couples — to tie for 16th place.
It also just goes to show that, while golf is most certainly dominated by the youth, this course at Augusta is somewhat of an equalizer. More so than at many other golf courses around the world, strong iron play, a sweet putting stroke and pure knowledge of the nuances on the ground give more experienced golfers an edge at Augusta.