MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 3, 2023

Fred Couples

Quick Quotes

Q. How was the walk today?

FRED COUPLES: The walk was good. It was fine. Played long. It was a weird day. But it was fun.

Q. What's it going to take on 13 with the additional length?

FRED COUPLES: Well, if I were 30, I'd probably be excited about it. At 63, I think it's an incredible hole. I won't go for it. I don't know how I can. But it ain't about me, it's about the best players and how far they're hitting it. I think it's spectacular.

Today was a day where the ball wasn't really going as far and we teed off at 9. Rory hit one bomb there, and I think he went at the green with a 5 maybe. But Tiger and I and the other -- Tom Kim actually knocked it on with a wood.

It's reachable, it's just a very good hole.

Q. (On playing with Tiger.)

FRED COUPLES: Always good, yes. Always good to talk to him, and then when we come here, we'll play tomorrow with Justin Thomas, so it's just fun to tease him and get teased and listen to his stories.

Q. How have the conversations changed over the years?

FRED COUPLES: Well, they don't really change. You know? They're all about Charlie and Sam, how they're doing, and he tells me a lot about Charlie, but because Sam is athletic and my wife is very athletic, so we like to know what Sam is doing.

A little bit of golf, not so much believe it or not with Augusta. If anyone is going to tell me anything, I'll listen to him, but I'm not telling him anything about Augusta National. We just chitchat. A lot of sports. His caddie Joe is a sport -- knows everything, and then my caddie for this tournament went to Stanford, so he and Tiger have a little bit of ties, so they had a lot of chitchat.

We saw Rose Zhang behind the 12th tee right next to us, and we talked to her. She got a big hug and high five from everybody, Rory and Tiger, and then on the 18th green, my caddie noticed the little girl who won -- I don't know her name, but she went to the same grade school or goes to the same grade school right now that Tiger went to, so we made her day -- I don't know, she won the --

Q. Drive, Chip & Putt?

FRED COUPLES: Yeah. And I want to say the youngest -- 7 to 9? I don't think she was 10 or 11.

Q. What was your impression of the way Tiger hit it, just how he looked physically?

FRED COUPLES: Yeah, well, that's two different questions. How he hit it, he hit it really, really well. He pulled a couple drives. But last year we played, he never missed a shot. I've never seen anything like it. For him, he's just out there just trying to walk around and play.

Physically? You know, I don't really ask him a lot. I think that's not something when I text him or talk to him, really what our conversations are about. I think when he tells you I'm only going to play four events and Augusta is one of them, he's ready to go, it's probably not going to be easy.

But I think he'll be fine.

Q. Did you see any difference in the way he was just moving around this year as opposed to a year ago?

FRED COUPLES: That's a good question. Probably not. I think the leg -- I guess this is what it is. I don't know how much better it's ever going to get. If he can get better where he can play 12 times, I don't think that's going to happen. I think he would tell me that. But he's strong enough to hit it a mile. He's not hitting it as far as Rory. I don't think many people are. But he's hitting it really strong and solid, and he looks good.

Q. What does Rory have to do to win?

FRED COUPLES: Nothing. He's just got to play golf and be better than everyone. It looks like this is another prime year. He's playing very, very well. What does he have to do? I don't know, is it surprising he's never won this? Of course it is, the way he plays and the way he putts and how high he hits it and how far he hits it. But it's not that easy.

He just does his own deal and plays like Rory can, and he'll be just fine. Then he's got to beat two, four, five people on Sunday.

Q. What are you expecting tomorrow night at the Champions Dinner?

FRED COUPLES: For food?

Q. Camaraderie --

FRED COUPLES: You know, I'm not expecting anything different. I sit in a great spot, so I'm down by all the beautiful people that I've sat with, and it's not that the other ones aren't, but I'm saying Nicklaus, Tiger Floyd, myself, Sandy Lyle, and then right to the head of the table. So for 20 years almost Raymond has told me where to sit and how to do it, and I'm not near a whole lot of people.

I can't imagine -- I've made comments, but they need to understand if they've looked at anything I've ever said, I call myself the same stuff I'm calling them, I just don't think they should bash the PGA TOUR or anybody, just go play golf. Tomorrow night will be a great dinner, will be a lot of fun, and people have asked me are you going to get paired -- I'm like, I would love to be paired with Phil. I mean, he's one of the best players that ever played. He loves this place as much as I do, and if we did, we'd look at each other on the first hole and we'd have a good time.

Q. Have you spoken to any of the players that you've mentioned in these since --

FRED COUPLES: No. No.

Q. Not deliberately, you just haven't crossed paths with them?

FRED COUPLES: Well, I just played yesterday and I don't think many people were here. Well, they had a tournament so they're all just getting in here.

No, if one wants to stop and ask why I'm picking on them, then I'm all for it, but I don't really think I've done anything horrific. They're making comments and I'm replying to them. That's it.

Q. Were you in agreement with the club's decision to allow the golfers to compete in this tournament?

FRED COUPLES: Was I in agreement with that? Yeah, I think they deserve to be here, the ones that have won and other -- I don't know how many that didn't win have qualified from either prior tournaments or from the Money List, and Bryson has won a major. Yeah, they should be here.

Once again, I'll say this, and I'll probably say it tomorrow, I do a radio show, I have no problem with any of them, just please do not bash a Tour that I have 43 years invested in. It bothers the hell out of me. They don't bother me. They really don't. They're golfers. I'm a golfer. I respect them all. On my show I've told everyone, Sergio is one of the top 10 players I've ever seen hit a ball, but if he's going to make comments about the Tour that I play, I'm going to make a comment back, and if it's offensive I apologize, but they're on another tour. Go play and have a good time. Brooks Koepka I love, Dustin Johnson absolutely love. I'm not good enough to be paired with those guys. They're going to play with those who are probably going to win this thing. But I have no problem with anyone on the LIV Tour. I really don't.

Q. Playing with Tom today --

FRED COUPLES: I love Tom Kim. We set this up at the Presidents Cup, and I think he was a little excited to play with Rory and Tiger. He had a blast, and they love him.

FRED COUPLES: Rory has played a few times with him. I don't think Tiger ever has, but he's a really, really sharp good player. He hits the ball really, really good.