AUGUSTA, Georgia - Fred Couples was dealing with such intense back pain over the first two rounds of the Masters that the 1992 champion said on Friday he should have withdrawn but stuck around to help the younger golfers he was playing with.

The 64-year-old Couples, a fan favourite everywhere he goes, followed an opening eight-over-par 80 with a 76 in the second round that left him at 12 over on the week and well outside the cut line.

Couples, who had cortisone shots last week to help relieve the pain ahead of the year's first major, was asked if, given his troublesome back, this year's tournament marked the last of his Masters starts.

"No, no, and I'm planning on being healthy and making the cut and telling Fred (Ridley, chairman of Augusta National) I'm coming back the next year, too," said Couples.

"This was really ugly. Yesterday there were several times I should have not played, but I thought I could help these guys that I was playing with a little bit even though they're out-driving me by 50 yards with the wind, so I didn't want to quit."

Couples, who made his 39th Masters appearance this week, played the first two rounds alongside Canada's Adam Hadwin and amateur Stewart Hagestad.

After missing the cut Couples, who last year became the oldest to ever make the Masters cut, revealed that he had great trouble with his irons and the swinging was a chore.

"No, my back is shot," said Couples. "The longer the club, I'm okay. I didn't have any speed. I was driving it 260. But most of them were going straight. It was fun. It was really difficult.

"If I'd have had more woods, honestly, yesterday, I probably could have shot 75, but I didn't know -- I kind of downplayed how bad I felt." REUTERS