Fred Couples
Encyclopedia
Frederick Steven Couples (born October 3, 1959) is an American professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...

 who competes on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...

 and the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...

. A former World No. 1, he has won numerous events, most notably the 1992 Masters Tournament
1992 Masters Tournament
The 1992 Masters Tournament was the 56th Masters Tournament held from April 9-12 at Augusta National Golf Club. Fred Couples won his first major championship by two strokes over Raymond Floyd.-Final leaderboard:-External links:*...

. In August 2011 he won his maiden senior major at the Senior Players Championship
Senior Players Championship
The Senior Players Championship is one of the five major championships on golf's Champions Tour. Unlike the U.S. Senior Open, the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior British Open, it is not recognized as a major by the European Seniors Tour, and is not part of that tour's schedule. The inaugural...

. Because of his long drives, Couples has been given the nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....

 "Boom Boom".

Early years and education

Couples was born in Seattle, Washington, to Tom and Violet (Sobich) Couples. His paternal grandparents immigrated from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 and changed the family name from "Coppola" to "Couples" to make it sound less ethnic. His mother is of Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...

 descent. 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
Jefferson Park (Seattle)
Jefferson Park is a 52.4 acre public park and golf course on top of Beacon Hill in Seattle, Washington, bounded on the east by 24th Avenue S. and 24th Place S., on the west by 15th Avenue S., on the north by S. Spokane Street, and on the south by Cheasty Boulevard S.- History :The park site was...

 golf course, where Couples developed his signature loose, rhythmic swing in order to gain enough distance to keep up with the older children.

Couples attended O'Dea High School
O'Dea High School
O'Dea High School is a Catholic boys' high school located on Seattle's First Hill, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. The school is named after Edward John O'Dea who was bishop of Seattle when the school was built....

 in Seattle and the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...

, where, as a member of the Houston Cougars men's golf
Houston Cougars men's golf
The Houston Cougars golf program is an NCAA Division I golf program at the University of Houston. The program competes in Conference USA as a men's-only sport, and its head coach is Jonathan Dismuke....

 team. He roomed with Blaine McCallister
Blaine McCallister
Blaine McCallister is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour....

, another future PGA Tour player, and future CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 television broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...

 Jim Nantz
Jim Nantz
James William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...

.

PGA Tour

Couples' first PGA Tour victory came at the 1983 Kemper Open
Booz Allen Classic
The Booz Allen Classic was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1968 to 2006.Perhaps more so than any other "regular" PGA Tour stop, the event wandered about, not just from course to course within a given metropolitan area, but along the East Coast...

. Playing in the final group, along with Scott Simpson
Scott Simpson (golfer)
Scott William Simpson is an American professional golfer.Simpson was born in San Diego, California. He attended the University of Southern California, where he was two-time medalist at the NCAA Championship . He turned professional in 1977 and graduated in 1978...

, and T.C. Chen
Tze-Chung Chen
Tze-Chung Chen is a Taiwanese professional golfer. In the U.S., he is often referred to as T.C. Chen. His older brother, Tze-Ming Chen, is also a professional golfer. In 1982, T.C. Chen became the first professional golfer from Taiwan to earn a PGA Tour card...

 the three golfers finished over one hour later than the previous group on the golf course. In spite of rounds of 77, 76, and 77 Couples, Simpson, and Chen finished tied for first along with Gil Morgan
Gil Morgan
Gilmer Bryan Morgan II, OD is an American professional golfer.Morgan was born in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He graduated from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma in 1968. In 1972, Morgan earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee before turning...

 and Barry Jaeckel
Barry Jaeckel
Barry Louis Jaeckel is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.Jaeckel was born in Los Angeles, California, and is the son of actor Richard 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 he hits a wild tee shot. On the second hole, Couples scored a birdie to take home the title.

In addition to his Kemper Open win, Couples won another fourteen PGA Tour titles. Among them were two Players Championships
The Players Championship
The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary...

 (in 1984 and 1996) and one major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...

 victory, the 1992 Masters Tournament
1992 Masters Tournament
The 1992 Masters Tournament was the 56th Masters Tournament held from April 9-12 at Augusta National Golf Club. Fred Couples won his first major championship by two strokes over Raymond Floyd.-Final leaderboard:-External links:*...

.

Couples was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year twice, in 1991 and 1992. He also won the Vardon Trophy
Vardon Trophy
The Vardon Trophy is awarded annually by the PGA of America to the PGA Tour's leader in scoring average. When the award was first given in 1937, it was awarded on the basis of a points system. No award was given from 1942–1946 due to World War II. In 1947, the PGA began awarding it for low...

 for lowest scoring average in each of those years. He has been named to the United States Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...

 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
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...

 (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
Nissan Open
The Northern Trust Open, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, first played in 1926. Formerly known as the Nissan Open and originally known as the Los Angeles Open, it is played annually in February in Pacific Palisades, California. The tournament has been contested at the Riviera...

, where he defeated Davis Love III
Davis Love III
Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...

 in a playoff, Couples won two tournaments and finished second in two others in the five weeks leading up to The Masters. At Augusta
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...

, 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
Raymond Floyd
Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....

 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
Skins Game
A skins game is a type of scoring for various sports, most notably golf but also for curling and bowling.-LG Skins Game:There was an annual skins game for male professional golfers which takes place in November or December each year after the end of the official PGA Tour season. It is recognized by...

. He has won the event five times (in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2004), accumulating US$3,515,000 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
Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
The Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship was a golf event held at the Tryall Golf Club in Jamaica from 1991 to 1995.The tournament was intended to be an official World Championship event to rival the four majors but was terminated after just five stagings....

, 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
Choke (sports)
In sports, a "choke" is the failure of an athlete or an athletic team to win a game or tournament when the player or team had been strongly favored to win or had squandered a large lead in the late stages of the event...

" in his early career, with mistakes in the 1989 Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...

 and the 1990 PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

 at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club often mentioned.

Couples is a frequent visitor to the UK, and has an excellent record in the Open Championship, where he has finished several times in the top ten. His best places are tied 3rd in 1991
1991 Open Championship
The 1991 Open Championship was the 120nd Open Championship held from 18-21 July at Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England. Ian Baker-Finch won his first major championship by two strokes over Mike Harwood.-First round:-Second round:...

 at Royal Birkdale
Royal Birkdale Golf Club
Royal Birkdale Golf Club is a golf course in the town of Southport, England, and is one of the clubs in the Open Championship rotation for both men and women. The club has hosted the men's championship nine times since 1954, most recently in July 2008, and has hosted the women's tournament five...

 -shooting a last round 64, and tied 3rd in 2005
2005 Open Championship
The 2005 Open Championship was the 134th Open Championship, played from 14-17 July at The Old Course at St Andrews. Tiger Woods pulled away from Colin Montgomerie for a five shot victory. The win was his second overall and his second at St...

 at St Andrews
Old Course at St Andrews
The Old Course at St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. The Old Course is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by The St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament...

. He completed his first visit to St Andrews in 1984
1984 Open Championship
The 1984 Open Championship was the 113th Open Championship held from 19-22 July at the Old Course at St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland. Seve Ballesteros won his second Open Championship and fourth major title by two strokes over Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer....

 on a spectacular high by holing his approach at 18 for an eagle on the final day.

Back
Human back
The human back is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck and the shoulders. It is the surface opposite to the chest, its height being defined by the vertebral column and its breadth being supported by the ribcage and shoulders...

 problems have, at least in part, truncated Couples' career. 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 and a little help from swing coach Butch Harmon
Butch Harmon
Claude "Butch" Harmon, Jr. is an American golf instructor and former professional player. He is the son of 1948 Masters Tournament champion Claude Harmon, Sr. and has been in the golf industry since 1965.-Early life:...

, 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
Shell Houston Open
The Shell Houston Open is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is currently played in April at Redstone Golf Club in the Houston suburb of Humble, Texas. Shell and the Houston Golf Association are the main sponsors of the tournament...

, his first win in five years; Couples wept with joy after the win, but quickly explained the tears: "I'm always emotional when nice things happen to nice people," he quipped.

In April 2006
2006 Masters Tournament
The 2006 Masters Tournament was the 70th Masters Tournament, played April 6–9 at Augusta National Golf Club. The course was lengthened significantly before the tournament, making the course play 7,445 yards . Phil Mickelson won his second Masters and second consecutive major, winning by two with a...

, Couples challenged at Augusta
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...

, making a Sunday run at what would have been his second green jacket before finally bowing out to eventual winner Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...

, 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 —supplanting Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...

, 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' 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
Dunhill Links Championship
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, is one of the richest golf tournaments on the European Tour. It is played in October, on three different links courses, centred around the "home of golf", St Andrews in Fife, Scotland....

 Team Event at St Andrews, partnered by New Zealand amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....

 Craig Heatley
Craig Heatley
Craig Heatley is a New Zealand businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist; and one of New Zealand's wealthiest men according to National Business Review magazine.-Career:...

.

In 2005 Couples sank a crucial putt in the Presidents Cup
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...

, securing an unlikely 1-up victory over the International team's best player, Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008...

. This match proved to be pivotal in the contest. Couples has now played Singh three times in Presidents Cup match play
Match play
Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player, or team, earns a point for each hole in which they have bested their opponents; this is as opposed to stroke play, in which the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes...

, and has yet to lose.

Couples was sidelined for virtually the entire 2007 season because of health problems. However, he did compete in the 2007 Masters
2007 Masters Tournament
The 2007 Masters Tournament was contested from April 5-8 at Augusta National Golf Club. It was the 71st Masters Tournament, and the first major contested in the 2007 season...

, making the cut for the 23rd consecutive time, tying the record held by Gary Player
Gary Player
Gary Player DMS; OIG is a South African professional golfer. With his nine major championship victories, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of golf. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Player has won 165 tournaments on six continents over six...

. 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
Phil Mickelson
Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...

 shooting a 62 on that Saturday, Couples may have won instead of finishing third. He nearly won the Shell Houston Open
Shell Houston Open
The Shell Houston Open is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is currently played in April at Redstone Golf Club in the Houston suburb of Humble, Texas. Shell and the Houston Golf Association are the main sponsors of the tournament...

 but bogeyed the last three holes and finished third behind Paul Casey
Paul Casey
Paul Alexander Casey is an English golfer who is a member of the world's top two professional golf tours, the U.S.-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. In 2009 he achieved his highest position, third, in the Official World Golf Rankings....

. He also played well at the HP Byron Nelson Championship (T8) and the AT&T National
AT&T National
The AT&T National is a professional golf tournament held in the Washington D.C. area during the Fourth of July weekend. The PGA Tour event is hosted by Tiger Woods and benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. The first AT&T National was held July 5–8, 2007, at the Blue Course of the Congressional...

 (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 2009 PGA Championship
2009 PGA Championship
The 2009 PGA Championship was the 91st PGA Championship and was played from August 13–16 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Prior to 2009 the last major played at Hazeltine was the 2002 PGA Championship, won by Rich Beem. The 2009 course is notable for having a greater length...

 (T36) and performed successfully in the Wyndham Championship (T5) which put him past the $1,000,000 mark on the money list for the 7th time in his career.

Couples was named as 2009 Presidents Cup
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...

 captain for the United States team on February 26, 2008 and led the Untited States team to a decisive victory.

Champions Tour

Couples made his debut on the Champions Tour
Champions Tour
The Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...

 at the opening event of the 2010 season
2010 Champions Tour
The 2010 Champions Tour was the 31st season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 26 official money events with purses totalling $51,475,000, including five majors. Bernhard Langer topped the end-of-season money list for an unprecedented...

, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii. He nearly won the tournament, finishing second to Tom Watson
Tom Watson (golfer)
Thomas Sturges Watson is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and now mostly on the Champions Tour....

. Couples later 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 ACE Group Classic
The ACE Group Classic is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour for golfers 50 years of age and older. It is traditionally played in February in Naples, Florida. It has been played at a variety of courses. The ACE Group is the main sponsor of the tournament....

, the Toshiba Classic and the Cap Cana Championship
Cap Cana Championship
The Cap Cana Championship was a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It was played from 2008 to 2010 at the Punta Espada Golf Club in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic.The purse for the 2010 tournament was $1,600,000, with $240,000 going to the winner....

, 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
2010 Masters Tournament
The 2010 Masters Tournament, played April 8–11 at Augusta National Golf Club, was the 74th Masters Tournament. This was the first major championship of the 2010 season.Phil Mickelson won his third Masters title by three shots over runner-up Lee Westwood....

 but finished 6th. It was his 26th top ten finish in a major tournament. A second place finish in the Senior PGA Championship
Senior PGA Championship
The Senior PGA Championship is one of the five major championships in men's senior golf. It is administered by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour. It was formerly an unofficial money...

 was a disappointment for him. But an even greater disappointment was losing the U.S. Senior Open to Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer
Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986...

. Couples had a 1 shot lead after 55 holes, but disaster struck on the par 5 2nd. 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 was on in 6 but finished the hole with a triple bogey; his 1 shot lead became a 3 shot deficit. He played solidly the rest of the round, but couldn't catch up to Langer. He was very disappointed for letting down his hometown fans who cheered for him every step of the way. He earned a 4th win at the Administaff Small Business Classic
Administaff Small Business Classic
The Insperity Championship is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. The tournament was founded in 2004 as the Administaff Small Business Classic. It is played annually in October in The Woodlands, Texas at the Woodlands Country Club. From 2004 to 2007 it was played in Spring, Texas at the...

. On Sunday, he was grouped with Corey Pavin
Corey Pavin
Corey Allen Pavin is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He spent over 150 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1986 and 1997.-Biography:...

 and Mark Wiebe
Mark Wiebe
Mark Charles Wiebe is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the Champions Tour. He has also played on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour.Wiebe was born in Seaside, Oregon and grew up in Escondido, California...

 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
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, he was able to come back. He won his first major tournament on the senior circuit by defeating John Cook
John Cook (golfer)
John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour....

, on the third hole of a sudden death play-off, capturing the Senior Players Championship
Senior Players Championship
The Senior Players Championship is one of the five major championships on golf's Champions Tour. Unlike the U.S. Senior Open, the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior British Open, it is not recognized as a major by the European Seniors Tour, and is not part of that tour's schedule. The inaugural...

.

Other ventures

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, and over 20 award winning championship golf courses worldwide.

Personal

Couples' marriage to his first wife Deborah ended in 1992. They had met as students at the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...

 in 1979. The divorce was finalized in 1993, and she later fell to her death in May 2001, ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles City coroner's office.

Couples' estranged wife, Thais Baker, died from breast cancer on February 17, 2009. They had married in 1998 and the union was childless.

Couples currently resides in Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...

.

Trivia

  • Couples enjoys a reputation for being one of the most laid-back, easygoing players on the PGA Tour. His best friend on Tour, Davis Love III
    Davis Love III
    Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...

    , confirms this: "Everybody thinks Fred's relaxed on the golf course, but he's more tense on the golf course than anywhere. He's a relaxed guy."
  • Couples is an avid gardener
    Gardening
    Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...

    . Couples learned gardening from his grandfather, who was a groundskeeper at Woodland Park Zoo
    Woodland Park Zoo
    Woodland Park Zoo is a zoological garden around the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Occupying the western half of Woodland Park, the zoo began as a small menagerie on the estate of Guy C. Phinney, a Canadian-born lumber mill owner and real estate developer...

     in Seattle.
  • Inducted into the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
  • Couples is one of few professional golfers who does not use a glove at any time.
  • Couples is a good friend of Michael Jordan
    Michael Jordan
    Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...

     and a season ticket holder for the Charlotte Bobcats
    Charlotte Bobcats
    The Charlotte Bobcats is a professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association. The Bobcats were established in 2004 as an expansion team, two seasons after Charlotte's previous NBA...

    , where Jordan is the majority owner.

PGA Tour wins (15)

EWLINE
Legend
Major championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (14)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin
of victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Jun 5, 1983
1983 PGA Tour
The 1983 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to October 30. The season consisted of 43 official money golf tournaments. Seve Ballesteros, Jim Colbert, Mark McCumber, Gil Morgan, Calvin Peete, Hal Sutton, Lanny Wadkins, and Fuzzy Zoeller won the most tournaments, two, and there were 10...

Kemper Open -1 (71–71–68–77=287) Playoff   T.C. Chen,   Barry Jaeckel
Barry Jaeckel
Barry Louis Jaeckel is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.Jaeckel was born in Los Angeles, California, and is the son of actor Richard Jaeckel...

,
  Gil Morgan
Gil Morgan
Gilmer Bryan Morgan II, OD is an American professional golfer.Morgan was born in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He graduated from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma in 1968. In 1972, Morgan earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee before turning...

,   Scott Simpson
Scott Simpson (golfer)
Scott William Simpson is an American professional golfer.Simpson was born in San Diego, California. He attended the University of Southern California, where he was two-time medalist at the NCAA Championship . He turned professional in 1977 and graduated in 1978...

2 Apr 1, 1984
1984 PGA Tour
The 1984 PGA Tour season was played from January 5 to October 30. The season consisted of 43 official money events. Denis Watson and Tom Watson won the most tournaments, three, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament...

Tournament Players Championship -11 (71–64–71–71=277) 1 stroke   Lee Trevino
Lee Trevino
Lee Buck Trevino is an American professional golfer. He is an icon for Mexican Americans, and is often referred to as "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex". He won six major championships over the course of his career.-Early life:...

3 May 10, 1987
1987 PGA Tour
The 1987 PGA Tour season was played from January 7 to November 1. The season consisted of 46 official money events. Paul Azinger and Curtis Strange won the most tournaments, three, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament...

Byron Nelson Golf Classic -14 (65–67–64–70=266) Playoff   Mark Calcavecchia
Mark Calcavecchia
Mark John Calcavecchia is an American professional golfer and a former PGA Tour member. During his professional career, he has won thirteen PGA Tour events, including the 1989 Open Championship. Calcavecchia currently plays on the Champions Tour.-Early years:Calcavecchia was born in Laurel,...

4 Feb 25, 1990
1990 PGA Tour
The 1990 PGA Tour season was played from January 4 to October 28. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Wayne Levi won the most tournaments, four, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following...

Nissan Los Angeles Open -18 (68–67–62–69=266) 3 strokes   Gil Morgan
Gil Morgan
Gilmer Bryan Morgan II, OD is an American professional golfer.Morgan was born in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He graduated from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma in 1968. In 1972, Morgan earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee before turning...

5 Jun 27, 1991
1991 PGA Tour
The 1991 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 3. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Billy Andrade, Mark Brooks, Fred Couples, Andrew Magee, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Tom Purtzer, and Ian Woosnam won the most tournaments, two, and there were 14 first-time winners...

Federal Express St. Jude Classic -11 (68–67–66–68=269) 3 strokes   Rick Fehr
Rick Fehr
Richard Elliott Fehr is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Fehr was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in the state of Washington. As a teenager, Fehr won the Washington State Junior and PGA National Junior tournaments in 1979...

6 Sep 22, 1991
1991 PGA Tour
The 1991 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 3. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Billy Andrade, Mark Brooks, Fred Couples, Andrew Magee, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Tom Purtzer, and Ian Woosnam won the most tournaments, two, and there were 14 first-time winners...

B.C. Open
B.C. Open
The Dick's Sporting Goods Open is a Champions Tour event. It debuted in July 2007, supplanting the B.C. Open, a now-defunct PGA Tour event, which was held annually from 1971 to 2006. It is sponsored by Dick's Sporting Goods....

-15 (66–67–68–68=269) 3 strokes   Peter Jacobsen
Peter Jacobsen
Peter Erling Jacobsen is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. He has won seven events on the PGA Tour and two events on the Champions Tour, both majors.-Early years:...

7 Mar 1, 1992
1992 PGA Tour
The 1992 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 1. The season consisted of 44 official money events. John Cook, Fred Couples, and Davis Love III won the most tournaments, three, and there were four first-time winners...

Nissan Los Angeles Open -15 (68–67–64–70=269) Playoff   Davis Love III
Davis Love III
Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...

8 Mar 22, 1992
1992 PGA Tour
The 1992 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 1. The season consisted of 44 official money events. John Cook, Fred Couples, and Davis Love III won the most tournaments, three, and there were four first-time winners...

Nestle Invitational -19 (67–69–63–70=269) 9 strokes   Gene Sauers
Gene Sauers
Gene Craig Sauers is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Sauers was born in Savannah, Georgia. His father started him playing golf at the age of 9. He attended Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia...

9 Apr 12, 1992
1992 PGA Tour
The 1992 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 1. The season consisted of 44 official money events. John Cook, Fred Couples, and Davis Love III won the most tournaments, three, and there were four first-time winners...

Masters Tournament -13 (69–67–69–70=275) 2 strokes   Raymond Floyd
Raymond Floyd
Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....

10 Mar, 12 1993
1993 PGA Tour
The 1993 PGA Tour season was played from January 7 to October 31. The season consisted of 43 official money events. Nick Price won the most tournaments, four, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The...

Honda Classic
Honda Classic
The Honda Classic is a PGA Tour golf tournament that is played each March in Florida. It was founded in 1972 as the Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic. In 1981, American Motors backed the tournament. Since 1982, American Honda Motor Co., Inc...

*
-3 (64–73–70=207) Playoff   Robert Gamez
11 Aug 7, 1994
1994 PGA Tour
The 1994 PGA Tour season was played from January 6 to October 30. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Nick Price won the most tournaments, six, and there were 10 first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The following...

Buick Open
Buick Open
The Buick Open was a PGA Tour golf tournament from 1958 to 2009. In 2007, the tournament was held at the end of June, a change from its traditional spot between The Open Championship and the PGA Championship...

-18 (72–65–65–68=270) 6 strokes   Greg Kraft
Greg Kraft
Greg Kraft is an American professional golfer who has played on the Nationwide Tour and the PGA Tour.Kraft was born in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from the University of Tampa in 1986 and turned professional later that year. He played on the Nationwide Tour in 1990, 1991, and 2005; and on the...

,   Steve Pate
Steve Pate
Stephen Robert Pate is an American professional golfer who has played on both the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Pate was born in Ventura, California. He attended UCLA and was a member of the golf team; one teammate was Corey Pavin, who joined Pate on the PGA Tour. Pate helped lead the team to...

,
  Curtis Strange
Curtis Strange
Curtis Northrup Strange is an American professional golfer. He is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He spent over 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between their debut in 1986 and 1990.-Early years through college:Strange and his...

12 Mar 31, 1996
1996 PGA Tour
The 1996 PGA Tour season was played from January 4 to October 28. The season consisted of 44 official money events . Phil Mickelson won the most tournaments, four, and there were 13 first-time winners. The season notably featured the first Tour win for Tiger Woods...

The Players Championship
The Players Championship
The Players Championship is an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour.Originally known as the Tournament Players Championship, the inaugural event in 1974 was played at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, Georgia before moving to the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975 and Inverrary...

-18 (66–72–68–64=270) 4 strokes   Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...

,   Tommy Tolles
Tommy Tolles
Tommy Tolles is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Tolles was born in Ft. Myers, Florida. He has two Nationwide Tour victories and has finished runner-up in two PGA Tour events....

13 Jan 18, 1998
1998 PGA Tour
The 1998 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 1. The season consisted of 45 official money events. David Duval won the most tournaments, four, and there were eight first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The...

Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
Bob Hope Chrysler Classic
The Bob Hope Classic is a professional golf tournament played each January in California's Coachella Valley. Part of the PGA Tour's early season West Coast Swing, this tournament is well known for its celebrity pro-am, as well as having five daily 18-hole rounds of competition vs. the Tour standard...

-28 (64–70–66–66–66=332) Playoff   Bruce Lietzke
Bruce Lietzke
Bruce Alan Lietzke is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.Lietzke was born in Kansas City, Kansas...

14 May 31, 1998
1998 PGA Tour
The 1998 PGA Tour season was played from January 8 to November 1. The season consisted of 45 official money events. David Duval won the most tournaments, four, and there were eight first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The...

Memorial Tournament
Memorial Tournament
The Memorial Tournament is a PGA Tour golf tournament founded by Jack Nicklaus. It is played on a Nicklaus-designed course at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, a suburb of Nicklaus' home town of Columbus. The golf course passes through a large neighborhood called Muirfield Village...

-17 (68–67–67–69=271) 4 strokes   Andrew Magee
Andrew Magee
Andrew Donald Magee is an American professional golfer who played for more than 20 years on the PGA Tour.Magee was born in Paris, France, where his father, a Texas oil man, was working at the time. He grew up in Dallas, Texas. Magee attended the University of Oklahoma from 1981–1984...

15 Apr 27, 2003
2003 PGA Tour
The 2003 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 9. The season consisted of 48 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, five, and there were seven first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The...

Shell Houston Open
Shell Houston Open
The Shell Houston Open is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is currently played in April at Redstone Golf Club in the Houston suburb of Humble, Texas. Shell and the Houston Golf Association are the main sponsors of the tournament...

-21 (65–68–67–67=267) 4 strokes   Stuart Appleby
Stuart Appleby
Stuart Appleby is an Australian professional golfer.-Early life:Appleby was born in Cohuna in rural northern Victoria, and grew up on a nearby dairy farm. He began in golf by hitting balls from paddock to paddock after his farm chores were completed...

,   Mark Calcavecchia
Mark Calcavecchia
Mark John Calcavecchia is an American professional golfer and a former PGA Tour member. During his professional career, he has won thirteen PGA Tour events, including the 1989 Open Championship. Calcavecchia currently plays on the Champions Tour.-Early years:Calcavecchia was born in Laurel,...

,
  Hank Kuehne
Hank Kuehne
Henry August "Hank" Kuehne II is an American former U.S. Amateur champion and professional golfer who enjoyed some success on the PGA Tour....


*Note: The 1993 Honda Classic
Honda Classic
The Honda Classic is a PGA Tour golf tournament that is played each March in Florida. It was founded in 1972 as the Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic. In 1981, American Motors backed the tournament. Since 1982, American Honda Motor Co., Inc...

 was shortened to 54 holes due to inclement weather

European Tour wins (3)

EWLINE
Legend
Major championships (1)
Other European Tour (2)

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin
of victory
Runner-up
1 Apr 12, 1992
1992 PGA Tour
The 1992 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 1. The season consisted of 44 official money events. John Cook, Fred Couples, and Davis Love III won the most tournaments, three, and there were four first-time winners...

Masters Tournament -13 (69–67–69–70=275) 2 strokes   Raymond Floyd
Raymond Floyd
Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....

1 Jan 22, 1995
1995 European Tour
The 1995 European Tour was the 24th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.-Schedule:...

Dubai Desert Classic
Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic is an annual professional golf tournament which takes place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It has been part of the European Tour schedule since its inauguration in 1989, and was the first European Tour event to be staged in the Middle East...

-20 (65-69-68-66=268) 3 strokes   Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31...

2 Jan 29, 1995
1995 European Tour
The 1995 European Tour was the 24th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour.The Order of Merit was won by Scotland's Colin Montgomerie.-Schedule:...

Johnnie Walker Classic
Johnnie Walker Classic
The Johnnie Walker Classic was a European Tour golf tournament which is played in the Asia Pacific region. Johnnie Walker is a brand name and the owners have a long history of tournament sponsorship. They also sponsor the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles which is a European Tour event...

-11 (72-67-67-71=277) 2 strokes   Nick Price
Nick Price
Nicholas Raymond Leige Price is a South African-Zimbabwean Professional golfer and an inductee in the World Golf Hall of Fame. In the mid-1990s, Price reached number one in the Official World Golf Rankings.-Background:...


Other wins (30)

  • 1978 Washington Open
    Washington Open
    The Washington Open is the Washington state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pacific Northwest section of the PGA of America...

     (as an amateur)
  • 1983 JCPenney Mixed Team Classic (with Jan Stephenson
    Jan Stephenson
    Jan Lynne Stephenson is an Australian professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1974 and won three major championships and 16 LPGA Tour events in all....

    )
  • 1988 Northwest Open
    Northwest Open
    The Northwest Open is golf tournament played in the Pacific Northwest, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pacific Northwest section of the PGA of America...

  • 1990 Northwest Open
    Northwest Open
    The Northwest Open is golf tournament played in the Pacific Northwest, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Pacific Northwest section of the PGA of America...

    , RMCC Invitational (with Raymond Floyd
    Raymond Floyd
    Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....

    ), Sazale Classic (with Mike Donald
    Mike Donald
    Michael William Donald is an American professional golfer.Donald was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He won 1974 National Junior College Athletic Association title while playing at Broward Community College and also attended Georgia Southern University.Donald's sole win on the PGA Tour was the...

    )
  • 1991 Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
    Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
    The Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship was a golf event held at the Tryall Golf Club in Jamaica from 1991 to 1995.The tournament was intended to be an official World Championship event to rival the four majors but was terminated after just five stagings....

  • 1992 World Cup
    WGC-World Cup
    The World Cup is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the first choice players choose to compete...

     (team event with Davis Love III
    Davis Love III
    Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...

    )
  • 1993 World Cup of Golf (individual event and team event with Davis Love III
    Davis Love III
    Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...

    ), Alfred Dunhill Cup
    Alfred Dunhill Cup
    The Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...

     (with John Daly
    John Daly (golfer)
    John Patrick Daly is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour.Daly is known primarily for his driving distance off the tee , his non-country club appearance and attitude, and his rough-and-tumble personal life. Daly remains one of the most popular and intriguing figures on the PGA Tour...

     and Payne Stewart
    Payne Stewart
    William Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42....

    ), Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International
  • 1994 Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International, World Cup of Golf (team event with Davis Love III
    Davis Love III
    Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...

    ), Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (with Brad Faxon
    Brad Faxon
    Bradford John Faxon, Jr. is an American professional golfer. He has won eight times on the PGA Tour.-Early years and amateur career:Faxon was born in Oceanport, New Jersey and raised in Barrington, Rhode Island...

    ), Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge
    Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge
    The Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge is an unofficial golf event held every November at the Lake Las Vegas Resort in Henderson, Nevada. The tournament is a unique stroke play event, and, as the name suggests, pits three-member teams from the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, and Champions Tour against each other...

     (with Paul Azinger
    Paul Azinger
    Paul William Azinger is an American professional golfer and occasional on air golf analyst. He spent almost 300 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1988 and 1994.-Early years:...

     and Greg Norman
    Greg Norman
    Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...

    )
  • 1995 Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
    Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
    The Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship was a golf event held at the Tryall Golf Club in Jamaica from 1991 to 1995.The tournament was intended to be an official World Championship event to rival the four majors but was terminated after just five stagings....

    , Skins Game
    Skins Game
    A skins game is a type of scoring for various sports, most notably golf but also for curling and bowling.-LG Skins Game:There was an annual skins game for male professional golfers which takes place in November or December each year after the end of the official PGA Tour season. It is recognized by...

    , World Cup of Golf (team event with Davis Love III
    Davis Love III
    Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...

    )
  • 1996 Skins Game
    Skins Game
    A skins game is a type of scoring for various sports, most notably golf but also for curling and bowling.-LG Skins Game:There was an annual skins game for male professional golfers which takes place in November or December each year after the end of the official PGA Tour season. It is recognized by...

    , Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge
    Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge
    The Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge is an unofficial golf event held every November at the Lake Las Vegas Resort in Henderson, Nevada. The tournament is a unique stroke play event, and, as the name suggests, pits three-member teams from the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, and Champions Tour against each other...

     (with Davis Love III
    Davis Love III
    Davis Milton Love III is an American professional golfer.Love was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina before turning professional in 1985. He earned his PGA Tour card in the fall of 1985, on his first attempt. He quickly established himself on the PGA...

     and Payne Stewart
    Payne Stewart
    William Payne Stewart was an American professional golfer who won three majors in his career, the last of which occurred only months before he died in an airplane accident at the age of 42....

    )
  • 1997 Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge
    Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge
    The Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge is an unofficial golf event held every November at the Lake Las Vegas Resort in Henderson, Nevada. The tournament is a unique stroke play event, and, as the name suggests, pits three-member teams from the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, and Champions Tour against each other...

     (with Tom Lehman
    Tom Lehman
    Thomas Edward Lehman is an American professional golfer.Lehman was born in Austin, Minnesota, but Alexandria, Minnesota is credited as his official Minnesota hometown. He attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a degree in Business/Accounting and turned professional in 1982. It took...

     and Phil Mickelson
    Phil Mickelson
    Philip Alfred Mickelson is an American professional golfer. He has won four major championships and a total of 39 events on the PGA Tour. He has reached a career high world ranking of 2nd in multiple years. He is nicknamed "Lefty" for his left-handed swing, even though he is otherwise right-handed...

    )
  • 1999 Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (with David Duval
    David Duval
    David Robert Duval is an American professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour.-Early years:...

    ), Skins Game
    Skins Game
    A skins game is a type of scoring for various sports, most notably golf but also for curling and bowling.-LG Skins Game:There was an annual skins game for male professional golfers which takes place in November or December each year after the end of the official PGA Tour season. It is recognized by...

    , Diners Club Matches (with Mark Calcavecchia
    Mark Calcavecchia
    Mark John Calcavecchia is an American professional golfer and a former PGA Tour member. During his professional career, he has won thirteen PGA Tour events, including the 1989 Open Championship. Calcavecchia currently plays on the Champions Tour.-Early years:Calcavecchia was born in Laurel,...

    )
  • 2001 Hyundai Team Matches
    Hyundai Team Matches
    The Hyundai Team Matches were a series of golf tournaments from 1994 to 2002. The matches features four two-player teams from the LPGA Tour, the PGA Tour, and the Senior PGA Tour . Within each tour, the teams competed in a match play format. It was played at three different locations in California...

     (with Mark Calcavecchia
    Mark Calcavecchia
    Mark John Calcavecchia is an American professional golfer and a former PGA Tour member. During his professional career, he has won thirteen PGA Tour events, including the 1989 Open Championship. Calcavecchia currently plays on the Champions Tour.-Early years:Calcavecchia was born in Laurel,...

    )
  • 2003 The ConAgra Foods Skins Game, Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort
  • 2004 Merrill Lynch Skins Game, Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort
  • 2006 ING Par-3 Shootout

Champions Tour wins (6)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin
of victory
Runner-up
1 Feb 14, 2010
2010 Champions Tour
The 2010 Champions Tour was the 31st season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 26 official money events with purses totalling $51,475,000, including five majors. Bernhard Langer topped the end-of-season money list for an unprecedented...

The ACE Group Classic
The ACE Group Classic
The ACE Group Classic is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour for golfers 50 years of age and older. It is traditionally played in February in Naples, Florida. It has been played at a variety of courses. The ACE Group is the main sponsor of the tournament....

-17 (68–67–64=199) 1 stroke   Tommy Armour III
Tommy Armour III
Thomas Dickson "Tommy" Armour III is an American professional golfer.Armour first joined the PGA Tour in 1981 at the age of 21. He has two career PGA Tour victories, winning the 1990 Phoenix Open and the 2003 Valero Texas Open...

2 Mar 7, 2010
2010 Champions Tour
The 2010 Champions Tour was the 31st season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 26 official money events with purses totalling $51,475,000, including five majors. Bernhard Langer topped the end-of-season money list for an unprecedented...

Toshiba Classic -18 (66–64–65=195) 4 strokes   Ronnie Black
Ronnie Black
Ronald Jay Black is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour and Champions Tour.Black was born in Lovington, New Mexico. He attended Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, where he was a member of the golf team. He turned pro in 1981.Black won two events on the...

3 Mar 28, 2010
2010 Champions Tour
The 2010 Champions Tour was the 31st season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 26 official money events with purses totalling $51,475,000, including five majors. Bernhard Langer topped the end-of-season money list for an unprecedented...

Cap Cana Championship
Cap Cana Championship
The Cap Cana Championship was a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It was played from 2008 to 2010 at the Punta Espada Golf Club in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic.The purse for the 2010 tournament was $1,600,000, with $240,000 going to the winner....

-21 (67–66–62=195) 2 strokes   Corey Pavin
Corey Pavin
Corey Allen Pavin is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He spent over 150 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1986 and 1997.-Biography:...

4 Oct 24, 2010
2010 Champions Tour
The 2010 Champions Tour was the 31st season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 26 official money events with purses totalling $51,475,000, including five majors. Bernhard Langer topped the end-of-season money list for an unprecedented...

Administaff Small Business Classic
Administaff Small Business Classic
The Insperity Championship is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. The tournament was founded in 2004 as the Administaff Small Business Classic. It is played annually in October in The Woodlands, Texas at the Woodlands Country Club. From 2004 to 2007 it was played in Spring, Texas at the...

-17 (71–65–63=199) 7 strokes   Mark Wiebe
Mark Wiebe
Mark Charles Wiebe is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the Champions Tour. He has also played on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour.Wiebe was born in Seaside, Oregon and grew up in Escondido, California...

5 Aug 20, 2011
2011 Champions Tour
The 2011 Champions Tour was the 32nd season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 24 official money events with purses totalling $48,075,000, including five majors. Tom Lehman topped the end-of-season money list , winning $2,081,526....

Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship -11 (68–66–68-61=273) Playoff   John Cook
John Cook (golfer)
John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour....

6 Oct 16, 2011
2011 Champions Tour
The 2011 Champions Tour was the 32nd season since the Champions Tour officially began in 1980 as the Senior PGA Tour. The season consisted of 24 official money events with purses totalling $48,075,000, including five majors. Tom Lehman topped the end-of-season money list , winning $2,081,526....

AT&T Championship
AT&T Championship
The AT&T Championship is a golf tournament on the Champions Tour. It is played annually in October in San Antonio, Texas at the Oak Hills Country Club, and is the final full-field event of the Champions Tour season...

-23 (65-62-66=193) 7 strokes   Mark Calcavecchia
Mark Calcavecchia
Mark John Calcavecchia is an American professional golfer and a former PGA Tour member. During his professional career, he has won thirteen PGA Tour events, including the 1989 Open Championship. Calcavecchia currently plays on the Champions Tour.-Early years:Calcavecchia was born in Laurel,...


Wins (1)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMargin
of victory
Runner-up
1992
1992 Masters Tournament
The 1992 Masters Tournament was the 56th Masters Tournament held from April 9-12 at Augusta National Golf Club. Fred Couples won his first major championship by two strokes over Raymond Floyd.-Final leaderboard:-External links:*...

 
Masters Tournament  1 shot deficit −13 (69–67–69–70=275) 2 strokes   Raymond Floyd
Raymond Floyd
Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour....


Results timeline

Tournament 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
The Masters DNP DNP DNP DNP T32 10 T10 T31 DNP T5 T11
U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...

T48 LA DNP DNP CUT CUT T9 T39 DNP T46 T10 T21
The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...

DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T4 DNP T46 T40 T4 T6
PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

DNP DNP DNP T3 T23 T20 T6 T36 CUT CUT CUT

Tournament 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
The Masters 5 T35 1 T21 DNP T10 T15 T7 T2 T27
U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...

CUT T3 T17 T16 T16 CUT DNP T52 T53 CUT
The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...

T25 T3 CUT T9 DNP DNP T7 T7 T66 DNP
PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

2 T27 T21 T31 T39 T31 T41 T29 T13 T26

Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
The Masters T11 26 T36 T28 T6 T39 T3 T30 CUT CUT
U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...

T16 CUT DNP T66 CUT T15 T48 DNP DNP DNP
The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...

6 CUT DNP T46 DNP T3 CUT DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

CUT T37 DNP T34 DNP T70 CUT DNP CUT T36
Tournament 2010 2011
The Masters 6 T15
U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...

DNP DNP
The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...

DNP DNP
PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...

DNP DNP


LA = Low Amateur

DNP = Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

Summary

  • Starts – 87
  • Wins – 1
  • 2nd place finishes – 2
  • Top 3 finishes – 8
  • Top 5 finishes – 12
  • Top 10 finishes – 26
  • Longest streak of top-10s in majors – 3 (twice)

Wins (1)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMargin
of victory
Runner-up
2011 Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship  1 shot lead
Playoff 1   John Cook
John Cook (golfer)
John Neuman Cook is an American professional golfer, who has played on the PGA Tour and currently plays on the Champions Tour....


1 Defeated John Cook in sudden-death playoff with birdie on the third extra hole.

Senior results timeline

Results not in chronological order before 2011.
Tournament 2010 2011
The Tradition
The Tradition
The Tradition is one of the five major championships recognized by the U.S.-based Champions Tour, the world's leading tour for professional golfers aged fifty and older. The inaugural event was staged in 1989.Unlike the U.S...

DNP T63
Senior PGA Championship
Senior PGA Championship
The Senior PGA Championship is one of the five major championships in men's senior golf. It is administered by the Professional Golfers' Association of America and is recognized as a major championship by both the Champions Tour and the European Seniors Tour. It was formerly an unofficial money...

T2 DNP
The Senior Open Championship DNP DNP
U.S. Senior Open 2 DNP
Senior Players Championship
Senior Players Championship
The Senior Players Championship is one of the five major championships on golf's Champions Tour. Unlike the U.S. Senior Open, the Senior PGA Championship and the Senior British Open, it is not recognized as a major by the European Seniors Tour, and is not part of that tour's schedule. The inaugural...

WD 1


DNP = Did not play

WD = Withdrew

CUT = missed the half-way cut

"T" indicates a tie for a place

Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

U.S. national team appearances

  • USA vs. Japan: 1984
  • Ryder Cup
    Ryder Cup
    The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...

    : 1989
    1989 Ryder Cup
    The 28th Ryder Cup Matches were held at The Belfry in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England . For only the second time, the competition ended in a draw at 14 to 14 points, but the European team retained the Cup since they had won it outright in 1987.-Format:The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each...

     (tie), 1991
    1991 Ryder Cup
    The 29th Ryder Cup Matches were held on The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.The United States team won the competition by 14½ to 13½ points, winning back the Cup when Germany's Bernhard Langer missed a six foot putt on the 18th hole of the final match, a...

     (winners), 1993
    1993 Ryder Cup
    The 30th Ryder Cup Matches were held at The Belfry in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England . The United States team won the competition by a margin of 15 to 13 points.-Format:...

     (winners), 1995
    1995 Ryder Cup
    The 31st Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York.The European team won the competition by a margin of 14½ to 13½ points to win back the Cup.-Format:The Ryder Cup is a match play event, with each match worth one point...

    , 1997
    1997 Ryder Cup
    The 32nd Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Valderrama Golf Club in Sotogrande, Spain, marking the first time the event was contested in continental Europe.The European team won the competition by a margin of 14½ to 13½ and retained the Cup....

  • Asahi Glass Four Tours World Championship of Golf: 1990, 1991
  • Alfred Dunhill Cup
    Alfred Dunhill Cup
    The Alfred Dunhill Cup was a team golf tournament which ran from 1985 to 2000. It was for three man teams of professional golfers, one team representing each country, and was promoted as the "World Team Championship". It was a "special approved event" on the European Tour, which means that it was...

    : 1991, 1992, 1993 (winners), 1994
  • World Cup of Golf: 1992 (winners), 1993 (winners), 1994 (winners), 1995 (winners)
  • Presidents Cup
    Presidents Cup
    The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...

    : 1994
    1994 Presidents Cup
    20 United States – 12 InternationalThe 1st Presidents Cup Matches were held in 1994 between September 16 and September 18. They were played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, USA. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 20–12. The honorary chairman was...

     (winners), 1996
    1996 Presidents Cup
    16½ United States – 15½ InternationalThe 2nd Presidents Cup Matches were held in 1996 between September 13 and September 15. They were played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, USA. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 16½–15½. The honorary chairmen...

     (winners), 1998
    1998 Presidents Cup
    International 20½ - United States 11½The 3rd Presidents Cup Matches were held in 1998 on December 11-13. They were played at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. The International team won the competition by a margin of 20½–11½. This was the first time the International team won...

    , 2005
    2005 Presidents Cup
    18½ United States – 15½ InternationalThe 6th Presidents Cup Matches were held in 2005 between September 20 and September 25. They were played at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, USA. The United States team won the competition by a margin of 18½–15½. The honorary chairmen...

     (winners), 2009
    2009 Presidents Cup
    United States 19½ - International 14½The 8th Presidents Cup Matches were held October 8–11, 2009 at the Harding Park Golf Club in San Francisco, California. The United States team won the golf competition by a margin of 19½–14½, their second consecutive win by that exact score and third in a row...

     (captain, winners)

External links

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