At the Masters, past champions are welcomed back to field

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Fred Couples was playing a practice round at Augusta National this week, with the other members of his foursome all sharing a few things in common. None of them was even half his age. They all bombed their tee shots past his. And they listened to every piece of advice he had. Among the many perks that come with winning the Masters is this: Champions are invited back for life, and that means it isn’t uncommon to see players compete into their 60s and even 70s at Augusta National. There are 12 players in this year’s Masters field who wouldn’t have otherwise qualified had it not been for that lifetime pass they got for winning years ago.