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EXEMPT STATUS: Winner, 1996 PLAYERS Championship through 2006 season
FULL NAME: Frederick Steven Couples HEIGHT: 5-11 WEIGHT: 185 BIRTHDATE: October 3, 1959 BIRTHPLACE: Seattle, Washington RESIDENCE: Santa Barbara, CA FAMILY: Married to Thais; One son, Oliver (by marriage); One Daughter, Gigi (by marriage) EDUCATION: University of Houston SPECIAL INTERESTS: All sports, tennis, antiques, bicycling, vintage cars TURNED PROFESSIONAL: 1980 JOINED TOUR: 1981 |
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.
Current Year PGA TOUR Money and Positions:
$344,174 (42)
Current Year Best PGA
TOUR Finishes:
4--Nissan Open
Current Year PGA TOUR
Best Round:
65 at Round 3, Nissan Open, 66 at Round 2, Buick Invitational, 66 at Round
1, Nissan Open
Best 2005 PGA TOUR Finishes:
2 --The Memorial Tournament; T2--Franklin Templeton Shootout, Wendy's 3 Tour
Challenge; T3--British Open Championship, Merrill Lynch Skins Game; T8-- Bay
Hill Invitational Presented by MasterCard, Deutsche Bank Championship; T9--Target
World Challenge presented by Countrywide
2005 Season PGA TOUR:
Tournaments Entered--22; in money--38; Top-10 finishes--4
Career Highlights:
Career year came in 1992, when he won three events, including the Masters
Tournament and more than $1.3 million
Named PGA TOUR Player of Year for 1991 and 1992
Opened 1995 TOUR schedule with T5 at Mercedes Championships and made five
straight cuts after that, including T10 at the Masters
After missing first cut of year at MCI Classic, left TOUR for nearly two months
due to resumption of back problems--diagnosed as closing of the space between
disc and spinal cord. Back trouble first occurred prior to final round of
1994 Doral-Ryder Open
Second-extra-hole winner over Robert Gamez at 1993 Honda Classic
Holed out from bunker on No. 17 to force playoff
First TOUR win came in five-man playoff at 1983 Kemper Open
Captured Tournament Players Championship in 1984, carding TPC at Sawgrass
course-record 64 in process. Lowered mark to 63 in 1992 PLAYERS Championship
Claimed first of two Nissan Los Angeles Open titles in 1990
Recorded back-to-back victories on PGA European Tour in November 1995, first
American to do so since Charles Coody (1973)
Also first time in career he had consecutive wins
Teamed with Davis Love III to win record four consecutive World Cup of Golf
titles (1992-95)
Captured Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International in 1993-94
Winner of Vardon Trophy 1991-92, Arnold Palmer Award 1992, PGA Player of Year
1992.
Owns a 6-1 record in Shell? Wonderful World of Golf matches
PGA TOUR playoff record: 5-4
PERSONAL:
Roomed with Blaine McCallister and CBS-TV broadcaster Jim Nantz at University
of Houston.
Three team for annual Three Amigos Celebrity Tournament.
Fred's charity Millie Medin Violet Sobich Couples Fund, in memory of mother.
Also hosts The Fred Couples Invitational, another charity event, in hometown
of Seattle.
Introduced to golf by father, who worked in Seattle Parks and Recreation Department.
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, 2005
