THE MASTERS : Kite’s Back Is Trouble : Golf: He will try to play today at Augusta after suffering a spasm on driving range.

Tom Kite has been on the PGA Tour since 1972 and, in all that time, has never been injured--until now.

Kite, the all-time leading money winner and defending U.S. Open champion, suffered a back spasm while on the driving range Tuesday at the Augusta National Golf Club.

Since then, the 43-year-old player has spent most of his time in the Centinela Fitness Van undergoing therapy.

As for his chances of playing today as the 57th Masters tournament begins, Kite said Wednesday:

“I’m taking the attitude that I’m going to play. I’m not thinking that I’m not going to play. I’m not going to put percentages on it.

“But I don’t know how the back will respond to some full swings tomorrow. I’m taking the attitude it will respond well. Hopefully, it will be OK, and I won’t have spasms tomorrow morning when I warm up.”

Kite is scheduled to tee off at 1:26 p.m. That could enhance his chances of playing, because the cold or damp weather of an early morning tee time could have affected his back.

The forecast is for cloudy skies today, but no rain. However, there is a possibility of thunderstorms with hail and lightning Friday and clearing on the weekend.

Kite wasn’t invited to play in last year’s Masters, but he has played here 16 times, finishing second in 1983 and 1986.

Kite briefly talked with reporters Wednesday during a break in his back therapy.

“I’ve never been injured. This is why it’s so frustrating,” Kite said. “One of the things that has enabled me to play well for so long and to do as many things as I have is because I’ve been healthy.

“I’m going out to Centinela Hospital (in Inglewood) in the next week or two and have a full evaluation and find out exactly what is causing this.”

Kite said he hit some chips shots and bunker shots Wednesday, but didn’t take a full swing. “It’s tight,” he said of his back, “but the spasm is out and that’s the good news. I was injected yesterday into the spine.”

Kite then detailed the treatment he has had in the past 24 hours.

“I’ve had ice, heat, stretching exercise, stabilization exercise, injection, and acupuncture.”

Then, he added wryly: “I guess that’s all I’ve had done for it so far.”

Kite said he originally hurt his back while taking his twin sons on some rides at Universal Studios last month during the Nestle Invitational at Orlando, Fla.

He missed the cut the next week in the Players Championship, and didn’t play at New Orleans last week.

However, he said his back felt fine when he arrived here Monday and was able to play 15 holes in practice without any problems.

Then, he had his spasm on the range Tuesday.

“When that thing spasmed up, I had a tough time just bending over a little bit,” he said. Kite’s therapy is being supervised by Dr. Frank Jobe, medical director for the PGA Tour, who practices with Dr. Robert Kerlan at the Centinela Medical Center.

Kite said he wanted to challenge his back on Wednesday with some full swings, but was advised not to by Jobe.

“Something is causing a severe muscle spasm and that’s why I’m going out to Centinela to confirm it one way, or another,” Kite said.

Kite, the PGA Tour player of the year in 1989, had been playing the best golf of his life. In addition to winning the U.S. Open--for his first major title--last June at Pebble Beach, he won the Bob Hope tournament last February with a record score of 35 under par for five rounds. Two weeks later, he came from behind on the final day to win the Los Angeles Open at Riviera Country Club.

“If I can play, I think I can play well because of the way I’ve been playing,” Kite said.

Fred Couples, the defending Masters champion and PGA Tour player of the year in 1992, said his game isn’t as sharp as it was during last year’s tournament.

“I may never play like I did last year, but I can play pretty good golf,” he said.

Couples, who took last week off after playing five consecutive weeks, including a victory in the Honda Classic, said he feels fresh.

“If I’m not ready to play here, something is wrong,” he said.

While winning here last year, Couples got a break when his tee shot on the treacherous par-three, 12th hole stopped on the bank short of the green and above Rae’s creek. He saved par.

Usually, such shots roll back into the water.

Couples played the hole again in a practice round and he said his tee shot hit what is now a “shaved” bank and rolled back into the water.

He discounted any notion that the bank was shaved because of his shot last year.

Golf Notes

There are 90 players in the field. Favorites include Nick Faldo, Nick Price, Greg Norman, Davis Love III, Steve Elkington, Payne Stewart and Ben Crenshaw. . . . Faldo is a two-time Masters winner. Price recently won the Players Championship and is the 1992 PGA champion. He set the course record, 63, in 1986. Norman, who was in a slump two years ago, is on his game now. He already has one tour victory this season, at Doral. “No question about it,” Norman said. “I’m playing better and I’m more confident coming into Augusta than I have been in four or five years.” Love was a winner of seven world-wide events in the last 12 months. Crenshaw, who won the Masters in 1984, won the Nestle Invitational last month in Orlando, Fla. . . . Other prominent players include Curtis Strange, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. Also in field is Spain’s Seve Ballesteros, a two-time Masters winner. . . . Raymond Floyd, who splits his time between the regular tour and the senior tour, won the Masters in 1976 and lost to Faldo in a playoff in 1990. He is usually a threat in the majors. . . . Television coverage is on the USA network today and Friday, beginning at 1 p.m PDT. CBS-Channel 2 covers the third and fourth rounds.

Tournament Facts * DATES: Today through Sunday. * SITE: Augusta National Golf Club. * LENGTH: 6,905 yards. * PAR: 36-36--72 * GRASS: Bermuda. * 18-HOLE COURSE RECORD: 63, Nick Price, 1986. * 72-HOLE COURSE RECORD: 271, Jack Nicklaus, 1965, and Ray Floyd, 1976. * FORMAT: 72 holes (18 daily) stroke play. * FIELD: 90 (66 American pros, 2 American amateurs, 20 foreign pros, 2 foreign amateurs). * DEFENDING CHAMPION: Fred Couples. * FORMER CHAMPIONS IN FIELD: Tommy Aaron, Seve Ballesteros, Gay Brewer, Billy Casper, Charles Coody, Fred Couples, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Faldo, Ray Floyd, Doug Ford, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Larry Mize, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Craig Stadler, Tom Watson, Fuzzy Zoeller. * TELEVISION (Times PDT): Today and Friday: 1 p.m., USA Network; 11:35 p.m., highlight show, CBS. Saturday: Noon, CBS. Sunday: 1 p.m., CBS.