Golf Players Around The World

Home > Golf Player Bios

PGA Tours - Fred Couples

Last Updated:

— sukhdeep @ 12:13 pm

6/3/2005

EXEMPT STATUS: Winner, 1996 PLAYERS Championship (through 2006)
FULL NAME: Fred Couples
HEIGHT: 5-11
WEIGHT: 185
BIRTHDATE: October 3, 1959
BIRTHPLACE: Seattle, WA
RESIDENCE: Santa Barbara, CA
FAMILY: Wife, Thais; GiGi and Oliver
Education: University of Houston
SPECIAL INTERESTS: All sports, tennis, antiques, bicycling, vintage cars
TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1980

PGA TOUR Victories

(15) 1983 Kemper Open. 1984 Tournament Players Championship. 1987 Byron Nelson Golf Classic. 1990 Nissan Los Angeles Open. 1991 Federal Express St. Jude Classic, B.C. Open. 1992 Nissan Los Angeles Open, Nestle Invitational, Masters Tournament. 1993 Honda Classic. 1994 Buick Open. 1996 THE PLAYERS Championship. 1998 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Memorial Tournament. 2003 Shell Houston Open.

International Victories

(5): 1991 Johnnie Walker World Championship. 1994 World Cup [indiv]. 1995 Dubai Desert Classic [Eur], Johnnie Walker Classic [Eur], Johnnie Walker World Championship [Eur].

Other Victories

(18): 1990 Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout [with Raymond Floyd], Sazale Classic, RMCC Invitational. 1992 World Cup [with Davis Love III]. 1993 World Cup [with Davis Love III], Dunhill Cup [with John Daly and Payne Stewart]. 1994 Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout [with Brad Faxon], World Cup [with Davis Love III]. 1995 Skins Game, World Cup [with Davis Love III]. 1996 Skins Game. 1999 Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout [with David Duval], Skins Game. 2001 Hyundai Team Matches [with Mark Calcavecchia]. 2003 Skins Game, Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort. 2004 Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort, Merrill Lynch Skins Game.

Current Year PGA TOUR Money and Position

$352,017 (102)

Current Year Best PGA TOUR Finishes

T8–Bay Hill Invitational Presented by MasterCard

Current Year PGA TOUR Best Round

65 at Round 1, Bob Hope Chrysler Classic

Best PGA TOUR Finishes

1–1983 Kemper Open. 1984 Tournament Players Championship. 1987 Byron Nelson Golf Classic. 1990 Nissan Los Angeles Open. 1991 Federal Express St. Jude Classic, B.C. Open. 1992 Nissan Los Angeles Open, Nestle Invitational, Masters Tournament. 1993 Honda Classic. 1994 Buick Open. 1996 THE PLAYERS Championship. 1998 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Memorial Tournament. 2003 Shell Houston Open.

Best Champions Tour Finishes

Best 2004 PGA TOUR Finishes

2–the Memorial Tournament, T4–Buick Classic, T6–Masters Tournament,

Best 2004 Champions Tour Finishes

2004 Season PGA TOUR

Tournaments Entered–16; in money–12; Top 10 finishes–3

2004 Season Highlights

Continued to play limited schedule due to back problems, but posted three top-10s in 16 starts…Finished T6 at Masters for ninth career top-10 in 20 starts for 1992 champion. Holds longest active cut streak at Augusta, having never missed in 20 starts dating back to 1983…Past champion was unable to catch Ernie Els on the weekend at the Memorial Tournament. Finished solo second thanks to four rounds in the 60s, only the seventh time and Couples’ second time that a player has put together four rounds in the 60s at Muirfield Village…The following week recorded a T4 finish at the Buick Classic. Posted a bogey-free 6-under 65 in the second round for a one-stroke lead through 36 holes, but third-round 74 derailed title hopes. Posted back-to-back top-10 finishes for the first time since 2000.

Career Highlights

2003: Candidate for Comeback Player of the Year won for the first time since 1998 at the Shell Houston Open, where he played collegiately. Missed just one cut in 18 starts…Began season at No. 147 in the Official World Golf Ranking and was No. 36 by season’s end…Discouraged with his game, hooked up with Butch Harmon during the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. The two worked for six hours one day, with Couples shortening his swing to take some pressure off his tender back. From there, the former Masters champion rediscovered his game with the win in Houston. "I have been practicing," he said after his win in Houston. "I never really thought I’d win this quickly, but I thought I could win again if I practiced and played." Held first- and third-round leads before defeating runners-up Mark Calcavecchia, Stuart Appleby and Hank Kuehne by four strokes. Win was the first victory in 87 events, dating back to the 1998 Memorial Tournament. Became the first player from the University of Houston and the sixth player over age 40 to win the Shell Houston Open…Shared first-round lead at THE PLAYERS Championship and was two back of lead through 54 holes. A 74 on the final day dropped him to solo 10th, his sixth top-10 in event…No. 32 on the money list entering the Chrysler Championship with hopes of jumping into the top 30, was forced to WD with back injury during pro-am. 2002: Climbed back into the top 125 after nearly doubling his earnings from the prior season…T9 at Nissan Open, first top-10 finish since a sixth at 2000 British Open…In first career appearance at Valero Texas Open, fired rounds of 65-64 on the weekend to finish T2, best since win at 1998 Memorial Tournament. 2001: Finished outside top 125 for first time in his career. Previous low finish was 76th in 1986…Continued as only Masters champion who has never missed a cut with an T36 finish. 2000: Earned eighth career top-10 finish in British Open with solo sixth…Ranked first in Sand Saves (67 percent) and fifth in Greens In Regulation (71.1 percent). 1998: For third time in career collected two victories. Final-round 66 earned playoff spot with Bruce Lietzke at Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, which he won with birdie on first extra hole at Bermuda Dunes. Earned 14th TOUR title with four-stroke win over Andrew Magee at Memorial Tournament…Fell one stroke shy of winning his second Masters after leading each of first three rounds. 1996: Became first player to win two PLAYERS Championships at TPC at Sawgrass. Trailed Tommy Tolles by four strokes through 54 holes, but closing 64, featuring eagle at 16 and birdie at 17, sealed victory. 1995: Recorded back-to-back victories on PGA European Tour, first American to do so since Charles Coody in 1973…Teamed with Davis Love III to win four consecutive World Cup of Golf titles (1992-95). 1994: Opened the season with a playoff loss to Phil Mickelson at the Mercedes Championship when Mickelson parred the second extra hole…Missed three months due to tear in outer layer of disc in lower back…Edged Corey Pavin with a two-stroke win over him at the Buick Open in August…Won unofficial Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua Invitational for second consecutive year. 1993: Earned 10th career victory at the wind-shortened (54 holes) Honda Classic. Closed with a 70 to tie Robert Gamez. Holed a bunker shot on 17th hole to force the playoff. Won with par on second extra hole. 1992: Career year, winning three tournaments, including the Masters, and earned more than $1.3 million to finish No. 1 on the money list for the only time in his career…Earned his second consecutive Player of the Year Award as voted by the players…Entered final round of Masters trailing Craig Parry by one stroke. Closing 70 good for two-stroke victory. Masters completed remarkable streak during which he won three tournaments and finished second twice in six starts…Defeated Davis Love III with a birdie on the second playoff hole to win his second Nissan Los Angeles Open title…Three weeks later, decimated the field at the Nestle Invitational, winning by nine strokes…Third-round 63 set the course record at the TPC at Sawgrass during THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP…Winner of Vardon Trophy for second consecutive year…Winner of Arnold Palmer Award and PGA of America Player of the Year. 1991: Took lead at Federal Express St. Jude Classic with third-round 66 and went on to three-stroke victory over Rick Fehr. Won B.C. Open by three strokes as well. 1990: After equaling the then-course record with a 9-under 62 during the third round, defeated Gil Morgan by three strokes at the Nissan Los Angeles Open…Finished second at the PGA Championship and fifth at the Masters Tournament. 1988: Lost playoff to Sandy Lyle at the Phoenix Open when Lyle bogeyed the third extra hole. 1987: Defeated Mark Calcavecchia with a par on the third extra hole at Byron Nelson Golf Classic. 1984: Edged Lee Trevino by a stroke to earn his first Tournament Players Championship. Featured second-round 64. 1983: First TOUR victory came in five-man playoff at Kemper Open. Birdied second playoff hole to defeat T.C. Chen, Barry Jaeckel, Gil Morgan and Scott Simpson.

Personal

Roomed with Blaine McCallister and CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz at University of Houston…His charity is Millie Medlin Violet Sobich Couples Fund, in memory of mother…Serves as host of the Fred Couples Invitational, a charity event in hometown of Seattle…Introduced to game by his father, who worked in Seattle Parks and Recreation Department.

PGA TOUR Playoff Record

5-4

National Teams

USA vs. Japan, 1984; Ryder Cup (5), 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997; Asahi Glass Four Tours World Championship of Golf (2), 1990, 1991; Dunhill Cup (4), 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994; World Cup (4), 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995; The Presidents Cup (3), 1994, 1996, 1998.