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Fred Couples
Fred Couples is one of the golf world's most popular players, and he has compiled
both a great playing record and also a worldwide following of fans who admire his
athletic abilities and personal style. One of the very few PGA Tour players to have
recorded PGA Tour tournament wins in the three decades of the 1980s, 1990s, and
2000s, 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 many 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 1981, Fred's rookie year on the PGA Tour, 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.
Fred accomplished one of a golfer's ultimate achievements in 1992, 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. Fred capped the year by 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.
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.
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 five Ryder Cup and four Presidents Cup
Matches. In March of 2008, he was selected as the captain for the U.S. team for
the 2009 Presidents Cup Matches which will be held in San Francisco. This was a
thrilling selection for Fred, succeeding Jack Nicklaus as captain of the U.S. team.
Fred is also involved in other ventures, including consulting work in the field
of golf course design. He has worked with several prominent golf course architects
on the layouts of many courses around the United States, including private, resort,
and public courses.