Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples barely missed the Masters cut. For Langer, it was the final time

AUGUSTA, Ga. — More than 30 years ago, Fred Couples helped Bernhard Langer slip back into the green jacket at the Masters.

On Friday, both of them nearly made the cut.

Langer, playing in his 41st and final Masters, made a couple of birdies on the second nine at Augusta National to get to even for the tournament. But a shot into the water at the 15th led to a double bogey and, needing a par at the last to make the cut on the number, the 67-year-old Langer watched his 10-footer slip past the edge of the hole for a bogey.

The patrons encircling the hole nevertheless gave the 1985 and '93 champion a standing ovation as he finished up, then walked hand-in-hand with his wife, Vikki Carol, toward the clubhouse to sign his scorecard one last time.

''It was a very special last two days for me,'' Langer said afterward, "even starting off walking to the first tee yesterday, I got a standing ovation and the people really, you know, applauded. I almost teared up and almost started crying right there, and I said, ‘Come on, get it together, you've got some golf to play.'

"It kind of kept going. There were lots of standing ovations throughout the golf course in various spots. Today coming up 18 was mixed emotions because I was still inside the cut line, and even when I made bogey, I wasn't sure I'm totally out of there."

It wasn't until the last players on the course finished their rounds a couple of hours later that it became official.

Langer's competitive career at the Masters was over.

''There were lots of emotions flooding through my mind the last two days as I was walking down the fairways,'' he said. "I saw my wife, I saw my four kids, and I saw two of my grandkids came out and supported me, and friends from Germany, and family from Germany. Just even friends from all over the world, literally, were walking a few holes with me. It meant a great deal.

''I just have so many wonderful memories of playing this golf course. I fell in love with it immediately when I played my first round here, and was fortunate to win twice, and come back here for many, many years. Very special.''

Twenty-year-old Noah Kent had the best vantage point on the property to watch Langer's final round. The runner-up at the U.S. Amateur, Kent played with him and Will Zalatoris on the warm, sunny day at Augusta National.

''Yeah, it was really cool," Kent said. "He's an unbelievable man. Unbelievable player.''

A few minutes after Langer finished, the 65-year-old Couples came to the 18th with the cut in mind. He opened with 71, making him the second-oldest player behind Tom Watson to shoot a subpar round at the Masters. But back-to-back bogeys on Friday left the '92 champion needing a birdie at the last. He made bogey instead and missed the cut by two.

Still, it was hard to believe Couples was wondering not long ago whether he could still play. He dealt with back issues last year and missed the cut badly, and he needed reassurance from the Masters that the club wanted him to keep competing.

"I'm playing next year for sure, yeah. They made that clear they wanted me to come back, so I'm coming back next year," said Couples, who is already the oldest player to make the cut in Masters history after accomplishing the feat two years ago.

''Again, as soon as I get in that car and drive out Magnolia Lane and come back tomorrow and have a nice lunch, I'll be fine. But ... the goal is to make the cut at my age. I didn't, and I'm kind of spinning my wheels thinking just why it was so mediocre.''

Mediocre, perhaps, but still memorable.

The Masters always is for Langer and Couples.

''It's not any tournament," Couple said. ''Other people can say, ‘Hey, I'm from Scotland, the British Open is the greatest.' The Masters is the greatest tournament of all time. It's just so unique.''

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AP Masters coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/the-masters