2008 Merrill Lynch Shootout
Tickets On Sale! |
It looks like you don't have flash player installed. Click here to go to Macromedia download page. | | »more info |
|
Tiburón Golf Club
Naples, Florida | | DEC. 10 - 14, 2008 | | Day | Schedule & Format | | Wed | Day One Pro-Am (Shamble) | | Thu | Day Two Pro-Am (Best-Ball) | | Fri | First-Round (Modified Alt. Shot) | | Sat | Second-Round (Better Ball) | | Sun | Final-Round (Scramble) | | »more info |
|
|
| Fred Couples |
 | Full Name: Fred Couples | | Height: 5-11 | | Weight: 185 | | Birthdate: October 3, 1959 | | Birthplace: Seattle, WA | | Turned Professional: 1980 |
|
| Statistics (through 2008) |
| 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 | | (26): 1983 JC Penney Classic [with Jan Stephenson]. 1990 Merrill Lynch Shootout [with Raymond Floyd], Sazale Classic, RMCC Invitational. 1992 World Cup [with Davis Love III]. 1993 Telus Skins Game, World Cup [with Davis Love III], Dunhill Cup [with John Daly and Payne Stewart]. 1994 Telus Skins Game,
Merrill Lynch Shootout [with Brad Faxon], World Cup [with Davis Love III]. 1995 Skins Game, World Cup [with Davis Love III]. 1996 Telus Skins Game, Skins Game. 1998 Telus Skins Game. 1999 Merrill Lynch Shootout [with David Duval], Skins Game. 2000 Telus Skins Game. 2001 Hyundai Team Matches [with Mark Calcavecchia]. 2003 Skins Game, Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort. 2004 Skins Game, Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort. 2006 ING Par-3 Shootout. |
| Current Year PGA TOUR Money and Position | | $920,223 (102) |
| Current Year Highlights | | Finished T8 at the Buick Invitational, his first top-10 of the season and first since a T3 at the 2006 Masters Tournament... Shared the first-round lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a 5-under 65, finished T65...Made his 15th consecutive cut at the Shell Houston Open. After opening with
a 1-over 73, fired three straight rounds in the 60s to finish T4...Recorded his third top-10 of the season with a T8 at the Wachovia Championship...T15 at THE PLAYERS in his 25th start at the tournament after getting in the field the week prior. |
| Career Highlights | | 2006: Highlight of 26th full season on TOUR was battle with Phil Mickelson at the Masters, where he dropped to a T3 finish on Sunday...Struggled after the U.S. Open, and eventually diagnosed with blood clot in right arm in September after withdrawing from Bridgestone Invitational. Spent three days in
a Columbus, GA, hospital...Posted the first top-10 of the season and his 13th in 25 starts at the Nissan Open with a fourth-place finish. Tied with three others with three holes to play but bogeyed two of last three to finish three strokes behind winner Rory Sabbatini...Recorded a PLAYERS Championship tournament-record fourth hole-in-one of the week on the 159-yard 13th hole with a 9-iron. The ace was his second at the TPC Sawgrass. He aced the par-3 17th hole in 1997 during the final round. Also holed out third shot from the 17th tee during the first round of the 1999 tournament after splashing his tee shot into water hazard...Vying to become the oldest Masters champion at the age of 46 years, six months and six days, was paired with 54-hole leader Phil Mickelson in final twosome on Sunday after opening 71-70-72. Hit 16 of 18 greens in final round but took 34 putts en route to a final-round 71 and a T3 finish. Extended Masters cut streak to 22 straight (dating to 1983 debut). 2005: With back issues largely under control, posted four top-10s and played a crucial role on the victorious United States Presidents Cup squad...Finished runner-up at the Memorial Tournament for the second straight year, one stroke back of Bart Bryant...Finished T3 at the British Open, his ninth top-10 at the event...Tabbed by Jack Nicklaus as Captain's Selection for The Presidents Cup. Posted a 1-2-1 record but defeated World No. 2 Vijay Singh in Sunday singles match, 1-up, by draining a 20-foot putt on No. 18. 2004: 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...Past champion unable to catch Ernie Els on the weekend at the Memorial Tournament. Finished solo second thanks to four rounds in the 60s. 2003: Candidate for Comeback Player of the Year won for the first time since 1998 at the Shell Houston Open. 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...Held first- and third-round leads at Houston before defeating runners-up Mark Calcavecchia, Stuart Appleby and Hank Kuehne by four. 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. 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 out of the top 125 for first time in his career. Previous low finish was 76th in 1986. 2000: Earned top-10 finish in British Open with solo sixth. 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. 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 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...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... 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...Inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago in November 2007. |
Click here to return to the Merrill Lynch Shootout Player Index. |
|
|
