Father time? What is that? If you ask the 1992 Masters winner Fred Couples, this is the response you are going to get. If you go by the timeline of all the 90s champions– Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, Ben Crenshaw, Mark O’Meara– the 66-year-old’s time to cease playing is already up. But here we are, already anticipating his 40th Masters appearance while he is already at the Hoag Classic with the old-age problems catching up to him. And it’s nothing new.

His first injury came in 1994 in Miami when his lower back blew up. Then, it was the 2020 Sanford International in Sioux Falls, S.D, where he slipped and fell and bounced right on his feet only to get an MRI later for a more serious injury. But then he was back, shrugging the injury with “It’s just been there forever,” only to bid a final adieu. In 2022, at Prestonwood CC, where he won the PGA Champions’ SAS Championship, he confirmed, yes, confirmed, that he will be gone.

But he was back on the greens just four months later, becoming the oldest golfer to make a cut at the Masters. Then last year, he walked back on his words as he updated, “I’ll play a handful of tournaments and play with my buddies and enjoy golf.” Yet he competes. He’s been at it since his father introduced him to the sport as a young child. Still, the current young players are not his targets. No. He made sure of that by saying, “I can’t compete with Viktor Hovland or Jon Rahm or anybody, but I can compete with myself, and that’s really why I come.” But slowly, his age is catching up to him as he reveals in his latest interview.

Following his round where he stands at T7, Couples gave a candid interview about his ongoing health struggles. The interviewer asked him, “For most people that don’t know, you’ve been battling a bug all week?” 

Without a thought, Fred said, “Yeah, but this coat was the savior. I kept taking it on and off because I’m actually sweating, which is good. But yeah, I don’t feel well. I went to the desert to practice really hard and I got sick, so I stayed in bed for four days. I’ve been up here since Tuesday and I don’t really feel a whole lot better, so hopefully it goes away soon. But everyone’s got, I’m no different. I’m just saying for me putting, it was a chore because I just, I couldn’t hear the click of the ball hitting the putter.”

Couples has been training for the upcoming Augusta National. And while his trip might have given him a bug, nothing stopped him at the Newport Beach Country Club as he swung with his classic smooth drives and mojo. The 14-times Champions winner shot 67 during the opening round, just 3 off of the lead controlled by Brendan Jones. However, the top is well-within his reach and he just might pull off another Champions win like he did three years ago in SAS Championship in North Carolina.

So far, Couples has had only two starts on the senior circuit. But he finished in top-15 at both. And he has only been swinging better with each event with a T4 at the Chubb Classic in Naples, Florida. He already has his notes ready.

“I think getting out in the sun helped. I hit the ball solid. The next month I’m trying to hit my driver like I’m trying to hit it as far as I can, and to be honest with you, I drove it really well today. I drove it off the fairway on 18, but I did great…

“I’m more worried about Newport. I’m trying to play well here, I live here. You’ve been from right here, too. I love the golf course. I could have shot better, but even on the last hole, you know, I’m not hearing the ball with the putter blade, it’s more of just hitting it, and I left a lot of putts short. So (Saturday) I’ll try and be a little more aggressive, but I need to hit it like I did today.”

Imagine being so tuned into your craft that missing a tiny detail like that throws you off. If there’s one thing Couples knows well, it’s playing through pain. In 2024, he was still relying on cortisone shots and his physical therapist, Dr. Chad Beauchamp, to keep him moving.

But even with all that, Couples isn’t thinking about slowing down just yet. At Augusta National, he’s made 31 cuts—just six behind Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record. And with the 2025 Masters coming up, he’s got some decisions to make. “I have to sit down with [Augusta National chairman] Fred Ridley,” he said. “I’m 65. But I’ve missed a couple [of Masters].” His goal is simple: Make the cut one more time—because, of course, he’s not done yet.

While Couples’ health struggles have been a major talking point, his offhand revelation about Brooks Koepka has stirred up even more buzz.

Fred Couples spilling Brooks Koepka’s beans made another veteran chime in

In a recent post by NUCLR Golf on X, Couples’ remarks about Koepka wanting to return to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf quickly gained traction. The post quoted him saying: “I talk to Brooks Koepka all the time. I love Brooks Koepka, and I’m not going to say anything extra except I talk to him all the time… He wants to come back. I will say that I believe he really wants to come back and play the Tour. (Via KJR 93.3 FM)”

Given that Koepka’s LIV contract is set to expire in 2025, this statement raised quite a few eyebrows. But while fans were busy speculating about what this could mean, Phil Mickelson wasn’t having any of it. The six-time Major winner fired back in the comments, calling out Couples for speaking on Koepka’s behalf. “If it’s not true, he damaged a relationship which he cares about. If it is true, he took away Brooks’ control of the timeline and narrative. Either way, this is a low-class jerk move by Fred.” Ouch.

Mickelson’s response instantly became a hot topic, making headlines across the golf world. But interestingly, he later deleted the post, possibly deciding to back out of the drama. Even so, fans had already taken sides, with many supporting Mickelson’s take on the situation.

With Koepka yet to comment, all eyes are on him. Will he address the speculation? Will he actually make the move back to the PGA Tour? Only time will tell—but one thing is certain, this story isn’t going away anytime soon. Nor is Fred Couples.