AUGUSTA, Ga. – Fred Couples walked up the 18th green at Augusta National on Friday to a familiar chorus of applause. He walked off the green to an even louder chorus from a gallery that sense it wouldn’t see Couples play on the weekend for the first time in his career.

Couples missed a slippery downhill birdie putt and with it, he missed the cut at the Masters for the first time in 24 tries. Couples shot even-par 72 and missed the cut by one shot at four-over 148.

Couples began playing the Masters in 1983 and missed the tournament twice. He failed to break a tie with Gary Player, who also made 23 straight cuts.

“Well, the reason I have that streak is because I won in “92, which was the big honor,” Couples said. “And to make the cuts, to be quite honest with you, I don’t consider that great of a deal. Playing well in this tournament I think is my goal.”

Goodbye to golf

Trip Kuehne came off the 18th green and the tears began to stream down his face as he clenched his father, Ernie . It was over. After a spectacular amateur career that included three Walker Cup teams and four U.S. Opens, the 35-year-old career amateur hung it up after he shot 72 and missed the cut at six-over .

“All I wanted was an opportunity on the back nine to make the cut,” said Kuehne, the 1994 U.S. Amateur runner-up to Tiger Woods . “I had it and just didn’t quite get it done. It was a hell of a ride. I think this is where I was always supposed to ride away.”

Kuehne, who was Phil Mickelson’s roommate one season at Arizona State, passed on a pro career to become a family man and a hedge-fund manager in Irving, Texas. After he won the U.S. Mid-Amateur last year, Kuehne decided to end his competitive career at the Masters, which invites the Mid-Am champ. So Kuehne made his final run around Augusta, with famous friends following him like Tony Romo and Terence Newman of the Dallas Cowboys and sister-in-law-to-be Venus Williams. But it was Kuehne’s 8-year-old son, Will, who provided the most comfort.

“I saw him over there when I didn’t get off to a good start. He believes in me 100 percent, and I wish I had as much faith in myself as he does me,” Kuehne said. “He was proud of his dad.”

Fuzzy idea

A day after he spoke of putting away his club and joining Arnold Palmer on the clubhouse, Fuzzy Zoeller changed his tune and said he wasn’t ready to pack it in. Just yet.

Zoeller followed his opening round of 81 with a 79 that was better than the score indicated. Zoeller hit 11 fairways in the second round in much windier conditions. Afterward, he said he hadn’t decided whether to play in his 31st Masters next year.

“I’ll make my decision in plenty of time. That’s too long,” Zoeller, the 1979 champion, said.

“That’s way too long. I hit a couple shots in there today just had absolutely no chance for the greens to receive the shot that I hit. That’s no fun. And if it’s not fun, then I won’t play.”