Insider: Will Couples become oldest major champ ever?

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Fred Couples won a Green Jacket in 1992. Will he earn another one in 2010?

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- There is no denying the overwhelming stature of the Tiger Woods storyline this week at the Masters.

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But if you're wondering what's next in the pecking order for talking points, it's Fred Couples.

Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, returns to Augusta National Golf Club this week feeling much younger than his 50 years.

He's won three straight on the Champions Tour, all of them in sensational style with red numbers splashed on leaderboards wherever he has played.

A year ago at Augusta National, Kenny Perry, then 48, and now only four months away from Champions Tour eligibility, played his way into a three-man playoff before losing to Angel Cabrera.

Two months later, Tom Watson, 59, nearly won his sixth Open Championship at Turnberry in Scotland. Watson also lost in a playoff, to Stewart Cink.

Twenty years ago, at 47, Floyd was runner-up to Nick Faldo at Augusta National in 1990. Floyd matched Faldo's 278 total but lost a playoff. Floyd went on to win 14 times on the Champions Tour to go along with 22 PGA TOUR victories, including four majors. Floyd won the Masters in 1976.

Everybody wants to know from Couples, and others, if there's enough magic left in his game to contend in the Masters -- or even win and become the oldest major champion ever?

"I think it's possible," Floyd said. "Freddie coming in here, just overwhelming the Champions Tour. The birdies he's making, you know his game is razor sharp. He has had such success here and he loves to play here and it's a place he's very fond of. I think Fred Couples could certainly be a dark horse this week, and has the ability to win.

"Look at Tom Watson at the British Open. Here is a man at 60 and in the same sense, Tom has terrific length still, and Freddie gets it out there with the kids, so he certainly could do it."

Watson is also in the field this week at Augusta National and wouldn't it be something if he could contend again for a major title? Couples won the Masters in 1992 and has had 10 top 10 finishes. Couples made the cut every year from 1983, his first appearance, to 2007.

Floyd played in his 45th and final Masters last year. He said Tuesday his playing days, on any tour, are over.

"It was something that I toyed with pretty much all year as to whether I would play or not," he said. "And I just feel that I've had so many fond, special memories here, and I didn't feel like I embarrassed myself out there on a big golf course. But it's getting to that stage, I'm 67 years old; it's getting to a stage for me that I felt like I wanted to leave with really fond memories of the golf course and the way I played the golf course through all of these years, and I'm not competitive there now. And I didn't want to go out and embarrass myself; or play the best and make a whole lot of putts so I could shoot in the 70s."

Floyd said there are too many fond memories of August.

"I don't think I've had, when I look back and reflect, that I've had really a bad experience here," he said. "Even, yes, my most difficult loss, without question, was losing that Masters when I put the second shot in the water at 11 (in 1990). However, I take that as a positive, when I look back, that I gave myself a chance to win a golf tournament. And I always had a saying, that if I get enough chances, I'm going to convert every now and then. And the more chances that I   I want the chance, and I felt like I could handle losing."

That's what Couples is looking for this week. Just a chance. One chance to put himself into position and see what might happen.

Couples is ready for the challenge. He's excited. He knows the task is daunting but he also knows that his game is in rare form.