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Fred Couples

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Fred Couples
Couples in 2006
Personal information
Full nameFrederick Steven Couples
NicknameBoom Boom
Born (1959-10-03) October 3, 1959 (age 65)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceNewport Beach, California, U.S.
Spouse
Deborah Couples
(m. 1981; div. 1993)
Thais Baker
(m. 1998; died 2009)
Suzanne Hannemann
(m. 2022)
Career
CollegeUniversity of Houston
Turned professional1980
Current tour(s)PGA Tour Champions
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins64
Highest ranking1 (March 22, 1992)[1]
(16 weeks)
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour15
European Tour3
PGA Tour Champions14
European Senior Tour1
Other33
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters TournamentWon: 1992
PGA Championship2nd: 1990
U.S. OpenT3: 1991
The Open ChampionshipT3: 1991, 2005
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame2013 (member page)
PGA Tour
Player of the Year
1991, 1992
Byron Nelson Award1991, 1992
Vardon Trophy1991, 1992
PGA Tour
money list winner
1992
PGA Player of the Year1992
Champions Tour
Rookie of the Year
2010
Champions Tour
Byron Nelson Award
2010, 2012, 2013

Frederick Steven Couples (born October 3, 1959) is an American professional golfer who has competed on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions. A former World No. 1, he has won 64 professional tournaments, most notably the Masters Tournament in 1992,[2] and the Players Championship in 1984 and 1996.[3][4][5] Couples became the oldest person to make the cut in the Masters Tournament history during the 2023 Tournament at 63 years, six months, and five days.

In August 2011, Couples won his first senior major at the Senior Players Championship and followed this up in July 2012 when he won the Senior Open Championship. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.[6] Couples garnered the nickname "Boom Boom" for his long, accurate driving ability off the tee during the prime of his career.

Early life

[edit]

Couples was born in Seattle, Washington to Tom and Violet (née Sobich) Couples. His paternal grandparents immigrated from Italy and changed the family name from "Coppola" to "Couples" to make it sound less ethnic.[7] His mother was of Croatian descent.[8][9]

His father was a groundskeeper for the Seattle Parks Department and the family, which included brother Tom Jr. and sister Cindy, lived in a modest house on Beacon Hill near the city's Jefferson Park golf course,[10] where Couples developed his signature loose, rhythmic swing in order to gain enough distance to keep up with the older children. Couples admitted to being self-taught, never taking a lesson and never hiring a swing coach.[citation needed]

Couples attended O'Dea High School in Seattle and graduated in 1977.

Amateur career

[edit]

In 1977, Couples accepted a golf scholarship to the University of Houston. As a member of the Houston Cougars men's golf team, he roomed with Blaine McCallister, another future PGA Tour player, and future CBS television broadcaster Jim Nantz.[11]

As a 19-year-old amateur, Couples beat PGA Tour veteran (and fellow Seattle native) Don Bies in a playoff to win the 1978 Washington Open at the Glendale Country Club in Bellevue.[12]

Professional career

[edit]

PGA Tour

[edit]

Couples's first PGA Tour victory came at the Kemper Open in 1983 at Congressional Country Club in suburban Washington, D.C.[13] Playing in the final group with Scott Simpson and Chen Tze-chung, the three finished over one hour after the previous group on the course. In spite of rounds of 77, 76, and 77, Couples, Simpson, and Chen finished tied for first along with Gil Morgan and Barry Jaeckel who had finished their rounds several hours earlier. Jaeckel, who spent time in a bar waiting for regulation play to conclude, was eliminated on the first playoff hole after hitting a wild tee shot.[14] On the second hole, Couples scored a birdie to take home the title.[13][15]

In addition to his Kemper Open win, Couples won another fourteen PGA Tour titles. Among them were two Players Championships (1984, 1996) and one major victory, the 1992 Masters Tournament.

Couples was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year twice, in 1991 and 1992. He also won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average in each of those years. He has been named to the United States Ryder Cup team five times, in 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997.

In 1992, Couples became the first American player to reach the number one position in the Official World Golf Rankings (since the World Ranking points system debuted in April 1986). He spent 16 weeks at number 1, after one of the hottest ever starts to a season by a PGA Tour player. Beginning with the Nissan Los Angeles Open, where he defeated Davis Love III in a playoff, Couples won two tournaments and finished second in two others in the five weeks leading up to The Masters. At Augusta, Couples carried over his momentum, shooting in the 60s in each of the first three rounds to hold second place heading into Sunday. After a shaky start to his final round that allowed 49-year-old Raymond Floyd to claim the lead, Couples took it back with 18- and 20-foot birdie putts at the 8th and 9th holes, respectively, then saved par on a slick 6-footer at 10. At 12 (perhaps the scariest par-3 in the world), Couples barely cleared Rae's Creek in front of the green. Although his ball rolled back towards the water, it incredibly remained on the bank and he saved par. Sensing that destiny was on his side, Couples held off Floyd the rest of the way, completing Augusta's treacherous back nine with eight pars and one birdie to win his first Major. The win pushed Couples past the $1 million mark in earnings on the season as well, by far the fastest any player had reached that plateau.

Couples is sometimes called "Mr. Skins" because of his dominance in the Skins Game. He has won the event five times (in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2003, and 2004), accumulating over $3.5 million and 77 skins in 11 appearances. Because of his dominance at the Skins and other off-season events like the Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship, Couples is also known as the "King of the Silly Season," referring to the exotic made-for-TV events staged in the winter that are better known as the "silly season." Couples was frequently accused of "choking" in his early career, with mistakes in the 1989 Ryder Cup and the 1990 PGA Championship at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club often mentioned.

Couples has nine top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, including tying for third in 1991 at Royal Birkdale, shooting a last round 64, and again tying for third in 2005 at St Andrews. In addition to his The Open Championship success Couples played well in many other international tournaments. He won two prestigious European Tour events, the Dubai Desert Classic and the Johnnie Walker Classic, in back-to-back weeks in 1995. He also finished runner-up in three European Tour events in his career: the 1989 BMW International Open, the 1994 Johnnie Walker Classic, and the 1997 Heineken Classic. He also finished runner-up on the Australasian Tour's 1988 Johnnie Walker Australian Classic, Japan Golf Tour's prestigious 1993 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, and the Asian Tour's 2005 SK Telecom Open.

Since March 1994,[16] back injuries have affected Couples's career.[17] His swing features an extreme shoulder turn at the top, which, combined with the fact that he keeps his left foot flat on the ground throughout the backswing, puts a lot of pressure on his lower back. However, with an abbreviated schedule, Couples is still one of the best players on Tour. In 2003, at age 44, Couples finished 34th on the PGA Tour money list. That year he also won the Shell Houston Open, his first win in five years; Couples wept with joy after the win, but quickly explained the tears, saying: "I'm always emotional when nice things happen to nice people."

In April 2006, Couples challenged at Augusta, making a Sunday run at what would have been his second green jacket before finally losing to eventual winner Phil Mickelson, with whom he was paired in the final round. Had Couples won, he would have been the oldest player ever to win the Masters at age 46 years, 188 days—supplanting Jack Nicklaus, who, coincidentally, won his final Masters 20 years earlier and also at the age of 46. His competitiveness in the tournament was an encouraging sign for his career. "I didn't hit the ball like I was 46," Couples said.

Couples's part in the USA 1993 Dunhill Cup win included victory in all five of his matches, and his overall record reads: played 16, won 12, lost 4. In 2004, Couples won the Dunhill Links Championship Team Event at St Andrews, partnered by New Zealand amateur Craig Heatley.

In 2005 Couples sank a crucial putt in the Presidents Cup, securing an unlikely 1-up victory over the International team's best player, Vijay Singh. This match proved to be pivotal in the contest. Couples has now played Singh three times in Presidents Cup match play, and has yet to lose.

Couples at the 2009 Telus World Skins Game in Lévis, Quebec

Couples was sidelined for virtually the entire 2007 season because of health problems. However, he did compete in the 2007 Masters, making the cut for the 23rd consecutive time, tying the record held by Gary Player. Couples missed the cut in 2008 and 2009.

In 2009, Couples limited his play but performed impressively at the Northern Trust Open. If it wasn't for Phil Mickelson shooting a 62 on that Saturday, Couples may have won instead of finishing third. He nearly won the Shell Houston Open but bogeyed the last three holes and finished third behind Paul Casey. He also played well at the HP Byron Nelson Championship (T8) and the AT&T National (T11) tournaments. He hurt his back practicing for the RBC Canadian Open and had to withdraw. But he rested and recovered and made the cut for the PGA Championship (T36) and performed successfully in the Wyndham Championship (T5) which put him past the $1 million mark on the money list for the 7th time in his career.

Couples was named as Presidents Cup captain for the 2009 United States team on February 26, 2008, and led the U.S. team to a decisive victory nineteen months later.

Couples and Jason Dufner were the 36-hole co-leaders at the Masters in 2012; at age 52, he was looking to become the oldest to win a major. He dropped back with 75 in the third round and finished tied for twelfth.

At the 2023 Masters, Couples became the oldest player to make the cut at a Masters Tournament at the age of 63 years, six months and five days, finishing 1-over-par after the second round. He has made 31 cuts at the Masters, the third most all time.[18][19]

He is one of the few professional golfers who never plays with a glove.[20]

PGA Tour Champions

[edit]

Couples made his debut on the Champions Tour at the opening event of the 2010 season, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii.[21] He nearly won the tournament, finishing second to Tom Watson. Despite the loss, Couples stated, "I had a wonderful time. I think I was 21 under par and didn't win a tournament. That hasn't happened too many times." Had he won, he would have become the 16th player to win his Champions Tour debut. He won his next three starts, The ACE Group Classic, the Toshiba Classic and the Cap Cana Championship, becoming the first player in Champions Tour history to win three of his first four career events. Couples made another run at the 2010 Masters Tournament but finished 6th. It was his 26th top ten finish in a major tournament.

Couples finished second in the 2010 Senior PGA Championship. Later in the same year he finished runner-up to Bernhard Langer in the U.S. Senior Open. Couples had a one-shot lead after 55 holes, but disaster struck on the par 5 2nd hole. He decided to lay up rather than going for the green. His lay-up shot was effective, but his 3rd shot landed in the water. After dropping 4, his 5th shot was driven over the green. He finished the hole with a triple bogey; his one-shot lead became a 3 shot deficit. He played solidly for the rest of the round, but could not catch up to Langer.

Couples earned a 4th win at the Administaff Small Business Classic. On Sunday, he was grouped with Corey Pavin and Mark Wiebe and soared past them and the rest of the field shooting a 9 under 63, with 29 on the back nine. Couples won the Champions Tour Rookie of the Year award in 2010.

Couples was sidelined once again for most of the 2011 season because of his stubborn back problems. But after receiving treatment in Germany, he was able to come back. He won his first major tournament on the senior circuit by defeating John Cook, on the third hole of a sudden death play-off, capturing the Senior Players Championship.

In July 2012, Couples won his second senior major championship when he won The Senior Open Championship at Turnberry. He came from a stroke back to win by two over Gary Hallberg. He made a 25-foot putt for birdie on the last hole to hold off Hallberg, for a round of three under 68 on Sunday. This was his eighth victory in total on the Champions Tour.

In 2016, Couples was forced to forgo the Masters Tournament for the first time since 1994, citing ongoing back problems, which have plagued him throughout his career.[22]

Business ventures

[edit]

Couples co-designs golf courses with his design partner, Gene D. Bates. This venture, beginning in 1992 has resulted in the formation of Couples Bates Golf Design firm (Now Bates Golf Design Group), and over 20 award-winning championship golf courses worldwide.[23]

Couples currently takes the supplement Anatabloc and is a brand ambassador for the anti-inflammatory neutraceutical containing anatabine. He wears the brand logo on his left arm of his golf shirts.

Couples has lent his name to two video games: Fred Couples Golf for the Game Gear, and Golf Magazine: 36 Great Holes Starring Fred Couples for the 32X, both published by Sega in 1994.

Personal life

[edit]

Couples's marriage to his first wife Deborah ended in 1992. They had met as students at the University of Houston in 1979.[11][24] The divorce was finalized in 1993, and she later jumped to her death in May 2001. The Los Angeles City coroner's office ruled it a suicide.[25] Couples' estranged second wife, Thais Baker, died from breast cancer on February 17, 2009. They had married in 1998 and the union was childless. Couples married his long time girlfriend, Suzanne Hannemann, on February 22, 2022.

Couples currently resides in Newport Beach, California.

Couples, a self-proclaimed "sports junkie," is a member of the Seattle Seahawks 12th Man. He raised the 12th Man flag prior to the Seahawks Monday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints on December 2, 2013.[26]

Couples is good friends with Michael Jordan and named him one of his assistant coaches when he coached the President's Cup in 2011.

Awards

[edit]
  • Inducted into the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
  • Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in May 2013.
  • Inaugurated in the Croatian-American Sports Hall of Fame in October 2022.[27]

Professional wins (64)

[edit]

PGA Tour wins (15)

[edit]
Legend
Major championships (1)
Players Championships (2)
Other PGA Tour (12)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Jun 5, 1983 Kemper Open 71-71-68-77=287 −1 Playoff Taiwan Chen Tze-chung, United States Barry Jaeckel,
United States Gil Morgan, United States Scott Simpson
2 Apr 1, 1984 Tournament Players Championship 71-64-71-71=277 −11 1 stroke United States Lee Trevino
3 May 10, 1987 Byron Nelson Golf Classic 65-67-64-70=266 −14 Playoff United States Mark Calcavecchia
4 Feb 25, 1990 Nissan Los Angeles Open 68-67-62-69=266 −18 3 strokes United States Gil Morgan
5 Jun 30, 1991 Federal Express St. Jude Classic 68-67-66-68=269 −15 3 strokes United States Rick Fehr
6 Sep 22, 1991 B.C. Open 66-67-68-68=269 −15 3 strokes United States Peter Jacobsen
7 Mar 1, 1992 Nissan Los Angeles Open (2) 68-67-64-70=269 −15 Playoff United States Davis Love III
8 Mar 22, 1992 Nestle Invitational 67-69-63-70=269 −19 9 strokes United States Gene Sauers
9 Apr 12, 1992 Masters Tournament 69-67-69-70=275 −13 2 strokes United States Raymond Floyd
10 Mar 14, 1993 Honda Classic 64-73-70=207* −9 Playoff United States Robert Gamez
11 Aug 7, 1994 Buick Open 72-65-65-68=270 −18 2 strokes United States Corey Pavin
12 Mar 31, 1996 The Players Championship (2) 66-72-68-64=270 −18 4 strokes Scotland Colin Montgomerie, United States Tommy Tolles
13 Jan 18, 1998 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic 64-70-66-66-66=332 −28 Playoff United States Bruce Lietzke
14 May 31, 1998 Memorial Tournament 68-67-67-69=271 −17 4 strokes United States Andrew Magee
15 Apr 27, 2003 Shell Houston Open 65-68-67-67=267 −21 4 strokes Australia Stuart Appleby, United States Mark Calcavecchia,
United States Hank Kuehne

*Note: The 1993 Honda Classic was shortened to 54 holes due to inclement weather.

PGA Tour playoff record (5–4)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1983 Kemper Open Taiwan Chen Tze-chung, United States Barry Jaeckel,
United States Gil Morgan, United States Scott Simpson
Won with birdie on second extra hole
Jaeckel eliminated by par on first hole
2 1986 Western Open South Africa David Frost, United States Tom Kite,
Zimbabwe Nick Price
Kite won with birdie on first extra hole
3 1987 Byron Nelson Golf Classic United States Mark Calcavecchia Won with par on third extra hole
4 1988 Phoenix Open Scotland Sandy Lyle Lost to bogey on third extra hole
5 1992 Nissan Los Angeles Open United States Davis Love III Won with birdie on second extra hole
6 1992 Honda Classic United States Corey Pavin Lost to birdie on second extra hole
7 1993 Honda Classic United States Robert Gamez Won with par on second extra hole
8 1994 Mercedes Championships United States Phil Mickelson Lost to par on second extra hole
9 1998 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic United States Bruce Lietzke Won with birdie on first extra hole

European Tour wins (3)

[edit]
Legend
Major championships (1)
Other European Tour (2)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Apr 12, 1992 Masters Tournament 69-67-69-70=275 −13 2 strokes United States Raymond Floyd
2 Jan 22, 1995 Dubai Desert Classic 65-69-68-66=268 −20 3 strokes Scotland Colin Montgomerie
3 Jan 29, 1995 Johnnie Walker Classic 72-67-67-71=277 −11 2 strokes Zimbabwe Nick Price

Other wins (33)

[edit]
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Jun 25, 1978 Washington State Buick Open
(as an amateur)
211 −5 1 stroke United States Fred Haney
2 Dec 11, 1983 JCPenney Mixed Team Classic
(with Australia Jan Stephenson)
66-67-62-69=264 −24 5 strokes United States Jane Geddes and United States Lon Hinkle
3 Sep 18, 1988 Northwest Open 65-73-68=206 −10 Playoff United States Mac O'Grady
4 Sep 2, 1990 Northwest Open (2) 69-71-70=210 −6 3 strokes United States Greg Whisman
5 Nov 18, 1990 RMCC Invitational
(with United States Raymond Floyd)
64-57-61=182 −34 5 strokes United States Peter Jacobsen and United States Arnold Palmer
6 Dec 9, 1990 Sazale Classic
(with United States Mike Donald)
65-60-63-66=254 −34 4 strokes United States Curt Byrum and United States Tom Byrum
7 Dec 22, 1991 Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship 71-72-72-66=281 −3 4 strokes Germany Bernhard Langer
8 Nov 8, 1992 World Cup
(with United States Davis Love III)
134-139-140-135=548 −28 1 stroke  SwedenAnders Forsbrand and Per-Ulrik Johansson
9 Jul 25, 1993 Telus Skins Game $210,000 $160,000 United States Raymond Floyd
10 Nov 7, 1993 Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International 69-68-67-70=274 −16 4 strokes United States Blaine McCallister
11 Nov 14, 1993 World Cup of Golf (2)
(with United States Davis Love III)
137-140-141-138=556 −20 5 strokes  ZimbabweMark McNulty and Nick Price
12 Jul 24, 1994 Telus Skins Game (2) $240,000 $220,000 United States Lee Trevino
13 Nov 6, 1994 Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International (2) 66-71-72-70=279 −13 1 stroke United States Bob Gilder
14 Nov 13, 1994 World Cup of Golf (3)
(with United States Davis Love III)
132-129-137-138=536 −40 14 strokes  ZimbabweTony Johnstone and Mark McNulty
15 Nov 13, 1994 World Cup of Golf Individual Trophy 65-63-68-69=265 −23 5 strokes Italy Costantino Rocca
16 Nov 20, 1994 Franklin Funds Shark Shootout (2)
(with United States Brad Faxon)
68-64-58=190 −26 2 strokes United States Mark O'Meara and United States Curtis Strange
17 Nov 12, 1995 World Cup of Golf (4)
(with United States Davis Love III)
133-136-138-136=543 −33 14 strokes  AustraliaRobert Allenby and Brett Ogle
18 Nov 26, 1995 Skins Game $270,000 $30,000 United States Corey Pavin
19 Dec 17, 1995 Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship (2) 70-67-71-71=279 −5 Playoff United States Loren Roberts, Fiji Vijay Singh
20 Jun 30, 1996 Telus Skins Game (3) $165,000 England Nick Faldo
21 Dec 1, 1996 Skins Game (2) $280,000 $60,000 United States Tom Watson
22 Feb 9, 1997 Australian Skins Game $102,000 $78,000 United States Larry Mize, Australia Peter Senior
23 Jul 28, 1998 Telus Skins Game (4) $220,000 $140,000 United States Mark O'Meara
24 Nov 14, 1999 Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (3)
(with United States David Duval)
61-62-61=184 −32 6 strokes United States Scott Hoch and United States Scott McCarron
25 Nov 28, 1999 Skins Game (3) $635,000 $390,000 United States Mark O'Meara
26 Dec 12, 1999 Diners Club Matches
(with United States Mark Calcavecchia)
1 up Australia Steve Elkington and United States Jeff Maggert
27 Aug 8, 2000 Telus Skins Game (5) $135,000 $35,000 Spain Sergio García
28 Dec 9, 2001 Hyundai Team Matches (2)
(with United States Mark Calcavecchia)
1 up United States Tom Lehman and United States Duffy Waldorf
29 Jul 2, 2002 Tylenol Par-3 Shootout $410,000 $350,000 United States Phil Mickelson
30 Nov 30, 2003 The ConAgra Foods Skins Game (4) $605,000 $380,000 Sweden Annika Sörenstam
31 Jun 29, 2004 Tylenol Par-3 Shootout (2) $270,000 $140,000 United States Phil Mickelson, United States Lee Trevino
32 Nov 28, 2004 Merrill Lynch Skins Game (5) $640,000 $30,000 United States Tiger Woods
33 Jul 27, 2006 ING Par-3 Shootout (3) $300,000 $190,000 United States Chris DiMarco, United States Craig Stadler

Other playoff record (1–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1991 Fred Meyer Challenge
(with United States Raymond Floyd)
United States Paul Azinger and United States Ben Crenshaw,
United States Mark Calcavecchia and United States Bob Gilder
Azinger/Crenshaw won with birdie on second extra hole
Calcavecchia/Gilder eliminated by par on first hole
2 1995 Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship United States Loren Roberts, Fiji Vijay Singh Won with birdie on second extra hole
3 1996 Ernst Championship United States Phil Mickelson Lost to eagle on first extra hole

PGA Tour Champions wins (14)

[edit]
Legend
PGA Tour Champions major championships (2)
Tour Championships (1)
Other PGA Tour Champions (11)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Feb 14, 2010 ACE Group Classic 68-67-64=199 −17 1 stroke United States Tommy Armour III
2 Mar 7, 2010 Toshiba Classic 66-64-65=195 −18 4 strokes United States Ronnie Black
3 Mar 28, 2010 Cap Cana Championship 67-66-62=195 −21 2 strokes United States Corey Pavin
4 Oct 24, 2010 Administaff Small Business Classic 71-65-63=199 −17 7 strokes United States Mark Wiebe
5 Aug 20, 2011 Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship 68-66-68-71=273 −11 Playoff United States John Cook
6 Oct 16, 2011 AT&T Championship 65-62-66=193 −23 7 strokes United States Mark Calcavecchia
7 Mar 25, 2012 Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic 63-70-69=202 −14 1 stroke United States Michael Allen
8 Jul 29, 2012 The Senior Open Championship 72-68-64-67=271 −9 2 strokes United States Gary Hallberg
9 Nov 3, 2013 Charles Schwab Cup Championship 65-65-68-69=267 −17 6 strokes Germany Bernhard Langer, United States Mark O'Meara,
Australia Peter Senior
10 Mar 16, 2014 Toshiba Classic (2) 65-67-66=198 −15 1 stroke Germany Bernhard Langer, Scotland Colin Montgomerie,
United States Steve Pate
11 Aug 31, 2014 Shaw Charity Classic 68-66-61=195 −15 Playoff United States Billy Andrade
12 Feb 19, 2017 Chubb Classic (2) 68-65-67=200 −16 3 strokes Spain Miguel Ángel Jiménez
13 Jun 25, 2017 American Family Insurance Championship 67-68-66=201 −15 2 strokes United States Scott Verplank
14 Oct 16, 2022 SAS Championship 68-68-60=196 −20 6 strokes New Zealand Steven Alker

PGA Tour Champions playoff record (2–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2010 Senior PGA Championship South Africa David Frost, United States Tom Lehman Lehman won with par on first extra hole
2 2011 Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship United States John Cook Won with birdie on third extra hole
3 2014 Shaw Charity Classic United States Billy Andrade Won with birdie on first extra hole
4 2020 Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai South Africa Ernie Els, Spain Miguel Ángel Jiménez Jiménez won with birdie on second extra hole
Couples eliminated by par on first hole

Playoff record

[edit]

PGA Tour of Australia playoff record (0–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1988 Bicentennial Classic Australia Rodger Davis Lost to par on second extra hole

Major championships

[edit]

Wins (1)

[edit]
Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner-up
1992 Masters Tournament 1 shot deficit −13 (69-67-69-70=275) 2 strokes United States Raymond Floyd

Results timeline

[edit]

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Masters Tournament T32 10 T10 T31 T5 T11
U.S. Open T48LA CUT CUT T9 T39 T46 T10 T21
The Open Championship T4 T46 T40 T4 T6
PGA Championship T3 T23 T20 T6 T36 CUT CUT CUT
Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Masters Tournament 5 T35 1 T21 T10 T15 T7 T2 T27
U.S. Open CUT T3 T17 T16 T16 CUT T52 T53 CUT
The Open Championship T25 T3 CUT T9 T7 T7 T66
PGA Championship 2 T27 T21 T31 T39 T31 T41 T29 T13 T26
Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Masters Tournament T11 26 T36 T28 T6 T39 T3 T30 CUT CUT
U.S. Open T16 CUT T66 CUT T15 T48
The Open Championship 6 CUT T46 T3 CUT
PGA Championship CUT T37 T34 T70 CUT CUT T36
Tournament 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Masters Tournament 6 T15 T12 T13 T20 CUT T18 T38
U.S. Open
The Open Championship T32
PGA Championship
Tournament 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Masters Tournament CUT CUT CUT CUT T50 CUT
PGA Championship
U.S. Open
The Open Championship NT
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

LA = Low amateur
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

Summary

[edit]
Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 1 1 1 5 11 20 39 31
PGA Championship 0 1 1 2 3 7 25 19
U.S. Open 0 0 1 1 3 9 23 16
The Open Championship 0 0 2 4 9 10 18 15
Totals 1 2 5 12 26 46 105 81
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 13 (twice)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (twice)

The Players Championship

[edit]

Wins (2)

[edit]
Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner(s)-up
1984 Tournament Players Championship 2 shot lead −11 (71-64-71-71=277) 1 stroke United States Lee Trevino
1996 The Players Championship (2) 4 shot deficit −18 (66-72-68-64=270) 4 strokes Scotland Colin Montgomerie, United States Tommy Tolles

Results timeline

[edit]
Tournament 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
The Players Championship CUT CUT 1 T49 CUT CUT T23 T4
Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
The Players Championship CUT T23 T13 T39 T29 1 T10 T42 T4
Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
The Players Championship T33 T58 CUT 10 CUT CUT 35 T15 CUT
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Results in World Golf Championships

[edit]
Tournament 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Match Play R16 R64 R32 R32 R64
Championship NT1 T10 T36 T15
Invitational T15 T21 T32 T28 WD

1Cancelled due to 9/11

  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
WD = Withdrew
NT = No tournament

Senior major championships

[edit]

Wins (2)

[edit]
Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner-up
2011 Senior Players Championship 1 shot lead −11 (68-66-68-71=273) Playoff United States John Cook
2012 The Senior Open Championship 1 shot deficit −9 (72-68-64-67=271) 2 strokes United States Gary Hallberg

Results timeline

[edit]

Results not in chronological order before 2021.

Tournament 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
The Tradition T63 4 2 DQ NT
Senior PGA Championship T2 T12 NT
Senior Players Championship WD 1 T4 T2 T22 T8 T3
U.S. Senior Open 2 T12 T14 T4 T44 NT 7
Senior British Open Championship 1 T21 T13 T5 T3 T21 T60 NT
  Win
  Top 10
  Did not play

DQ = disqualified
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

U.S. national team appearances

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

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  1. ^ "Week 12 1992 Ending 22 Mar 1992" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  2. ^ Reilly, Rick (April 20, 1992). "Bank shot". Sports Illustrated. p. 18. Archived from the original on October 24, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  3. ^ Jenkins, Dan (April 9, 1984). "Gone, even with the wind". Sports Illustrated. p. 53. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  4. ^ Reilly, Rick (April 8, 1996). "As easy as T-P-C". Sports Illustrated. p. 50. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  5. ^ "Past Winners & Results". masters.org. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  6. ^ "Couples to be inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame". World Golf Hall of Fame. September 19, 2012. Archived from the original on April 16, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  7. ^ Kugiya, Hugo (July 20, 1997). "The Couples Conundrum – Now In His 17th Year As A Pro, Fred Couples Returns Home For A Tournament, Seemingly Comfortable Finishing In The Middle Of The Pack". The Seattle Times. pp. 12–19. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  8. ^ "Fred Couples profile". mahalo.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  9. ^ "35 Pacific Northwest Croatian Athletes". Croatian Chronicle Network. February 7, 2011. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  10. ^ Kugiya, Hugo (July 20, 1997). "The Couples Conundrum". Seattle Times. (Pacific Magazine). p. 12. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  11. ^ a b Diaz, Jaime (January 7, 1985). "Sneaking up on stardom". Sports Illustrated. p. 44. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  12. ^ Peoples, John (July 28, 1994). "Remembering His Golfing Roots". Seattle Times. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  13. ^ a b "Couples survives five-way playoff". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). (Washington Post). June 6, 1983. p. 2D. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  14. ^ "Kemper Open replay unlikely". The Courier. (Prescott, Arizona). UPI. May 31, 1984. p. 13B. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  15. ^ "Couples claims Kemper in sudden death". The Ledger. (Lakeland, Florida). Associated Press. June 6, 1983. p. 3D. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  16. ^ "A solitary golfer wins Doral Open". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 7, 1994. p. 6B. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  17. ^ Shipnuck, Alan (January 26, 1998). "A hit at the Hope". Sports Illustrated. p. G2. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  18. ^ Uggetti, Paolo (April 8, 2023). "Couples, 63, oldest to make cut at the Masters". ESPN. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  19. ^ Ronald, Issy (April 8, 2023). "Fred Couples makes history as the oldest player to make the cut at The Masters". CNN. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  20. ^ Ballengee, Ryan (November 1, 2013). "Fred Couples uses Super Glue on his fingers before rounds". TheGolfNewsNet. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  21. ^ "Couples, Pavin set for official Champions Tour debut". Champions Tour. January 8, 2010. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
  22. ^ Inglis, Martin (April 4, 2016). "Fred Couples OUT of Augusta action". bunkered. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  23. ^ "Bates Golf Group". Bates Golf Design Group. June 19, 2013. Archived from the original on February 13, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  24. ^ Reilly, Rick (March 16, 1992). "King of swing". Sports Illustrated. p. 50. Archived from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  25. ^ Van Sickle, Gary (June 11, 2001). "Notebook: Deborah Couples' Suicide – Unhappy Ending". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 10, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  26. ^ "12th MAN Flag Raiser Interview - Fred Couples". Archived from the original on December 4, 2013.
  27. ^ "Inaugural Croatian-American Sports Hall of Fame induction held". croatianweek.com. October 18, 2022. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023.
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