AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Fred Couples is playing the Masters for the 41st time, and he can't remember ever hitting into the water on the par-5 15th with a wedge in his hand -- twice in a row.
His quadruple-bogey 9 on what traditionally is the third-easiest hole at Augusta National wrecked what was looking like surprisingly great opening round for the 1992 Masters champion.
"I laid up perfect," Couples, 66, said Thursday. "I had 90 yards, so I had to carry it 85 and 5. Sometimes when you don't try and hit a good shot, you forget what the hell you're doing. I have no excuse. I just didn't hit them far enough."
Couples was on the leaderboard at 2-under par, right in the mix with stars not even half his age, when his round completely unraveled.
After his 9 on the 15th, Couples' tee shot on No. 16 also rolled into the water, and he made double bogeys on that hole and the 17th to finish with a 78.
"At any age, you still want to hit shots," Couples said. "It happens. I'm not going to run. If I was 35 and did that, I would be going bananas on everybody. You, you, you. And I would've ran right by and told you to get out of my life."
So what's his mindset heading into Friday's second round?
"Just have to go do the same thing, but maybe not finish 10 over par on two holes or whatever the hell I did," Couples said.
He wasn't the only golfer in the field to post a big number on No. 15. Robert MacIntyre also put two in the drink and made a 9. So did another former Masters champion, Danny Willett.
It was the first time that at least three scores of 9 were recorded on one hole at the Masters since the second round in 1998 -- also on No. 15.
There also were four double bogeys on the hole Thursday. It added to a scoring average over 5.121 for the day, making it the only par-5 to play over par.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
