The Masters: five old guys who could make the cut
By Tim Letcher
There are seven players over the age of 50 in this year’s field at the Masters. Here are the ones who could actually make it to the weekend.
There are seven players in the 2020 Masters field who are 50 years of age or older. Of course, the only way these players are invited to Augusta National this week is because they are all former champions.
For some of these players, the game has passed them by. They no longer have the type of game that can allow them to hang with players who are young enough to be their children. Or, depending on the player, maybe their grandchildren.
However, there are two categories of players here who can still make the cut. Some of these players will fit into both of these categories.
The first category is players who still have enough game to compete with the young guys. There are a couple of guys on this list who can still bomb it off the tee enough to hang with at least the average PGA Tour player.
The second group are those who have enjoyed a great deal of success at Augusta National over the years. Some might say that the course here fits their eye, or that they are the “horse for the course” this week.
While none of these players figure to be in the mix to win this week, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that a number of them could make the cut at this week’s November Masters. Out of the seven in this week’s field, here are the five players 50 or older who are most likely to make the cut at the 2020 Masters.
5. Fred Couples
Now 61 years of age, Couples won the 1992 Masters for his only major title. However, Couples has had a great deal of success at Augusta National throughout the years.
This will be his 35th appearance in the event, and Couples will be looking to make the cut after missing the weekend last year. Overall, Couples has finished in the top 10 in the Masters on 11 occasions and, in his 34 appearances, he has made the cut an amazing 30 times. His only missed cuts came in 2008, 2009, 2015 and last year.
Couples would definitely fit into the group who has an eye for this course. And while he’s not a long hitter like he was in his heyday, Couples can still get it done. His short game and ability to get out of tight spots was always underestimated. He’s not Phil Mickelson by any means, but Couples always knew how to get himself out of a mess.
Like the rest of the field, Couples will be playing the Masters in November for the first time. Whether this is an advantage or a disadvantage for him remains to be seen. But if the course plays like it usually does in April, look for Couples to be right around the cut line on Friday afternoon.