Merrill Lynch Shootout - Players

Fred Couples is one of the golf world's most popular players, and he has compiled both a great playing record and a worldwide following of fans who admire his athletic abilities and personal style. One of only three PGA Tour players to have recorded multiple wins over the three decades of the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's, Fred remains dedicated to the game and will always be one of golf's headliners.

Fred's early learning years in golf were spent on the public courses of Seattle. Growing up he enjoyed playing all sports, but it was the time he spent with friends at the Jefferson Park golf course that led him to pursue golf in the amateur ranks, soon becoming one of the premier junior golfers in Washington State. Fred's amateur achievements in the Northwest earned him an invitation to play on the golf team at the University of Houston, the collegiate starting point for many PGA Tour players.

In Fred's rookie year on the PGA Tour, 1981, he led PGA Tour rookies in prize money earned, and he was immediately noticed by the galleries and his fellow competitors as a player with the promise of greatness. Fred's first tournament win was in a five-man playoff at the 1983 Kemper Open, and his Tour victories now total 15, plus additional wins in international tournaments and team events. In 1992, Fred accomplished one of a golfer's ultimate achievements, winning the green jacket of a Masters champion. This victory was even better for Fred because he was able to join his great friend from the University of Houston, Jim Nantz of CBS Sports, in the Butler Cabin for the presentation of the green jacket, a moment they had dreamed about years ago in college. 1992 was capped by Fred leading the PGA Tour money list, earning his first (of four) World Cup of Golf team titles with Davis Love III, and being selected by his fellow PGA Tour players as Player of the Year for the second consecutive year. Team competitions are very important to Fred, and along with his World Cup Titles, he has also been part of the U.S. team for 5 Ryder Cup and 3 President's Cup Matches.

Despite playing a more limited schedule since the onset of back problems in 1994, Fred has continued to compile impressive statistics, including victories at the 1996 THE PLAYERS Championship, 1998 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, 1998 Memorial Tournament, and 2003 Shell Houston Open. Fred Couples is now also involved in other ventures, including consulting work in the field of golf course design. He has worked with many different prominent golf course architects on the layouts of over a dozen courses around the United States, including private, resort and public courses.