 He was the first American winner in five years at Augusta, the longest run at the Masters without a winner from the U.S.; the previous four were won by players from Europe, all from the United Kingdom.Though he had yet to win a major, Couples entered this Masters at age 32 as the world's top-ranked player and the odds-on favorite.The 36-hole cut at 145 (+1) eliminated only twenty competitors and 63 played on the weekend, the most since 1966.