Fred will play in this week’s Chevron World Challenge.

The 4-under total has them in fourth place, four shots behind leaders Nick Price and Jeff Sluman. In this format, though, no lead is safe. Today’s round features the best ball from each player. Couples and Cink will tee off at 10 AM Eastern.

You can view a photo gallery of the first round here.

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TV this week:
Fri, 12/11: Golf Channel 3-6
Sat, 12/12: NBC 4-6
Sun, 12/13: NBC 3-6

Official site: Merrill Lynch Shootout

Merrill Lynch Shootout @ PGATour.com

Defending Champion: Woody Austin & Mark Calcavecchia

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Toronto, ON – Less than a month ago it was announced that golf legends Fred Couples and Greg Norman would captain the U.S. and International teams for the 2009 Presidents Cup, but this summer, they will square off in another international competition, the 2008 TELUS World Skins Game at Predator Ridge Golf Resort, located in the heart of British Columbia’s famous Okanagan Valley.

The TELUS World Skins Game returns to Predator Ridge, the site of the 2000 Skins Game, on Monday, June 16 and Tuesday, June 17 and will feature five of the top names in golf, each representing a different country. Couples will represent the United States in the event, with Greg Norman representing his native Australia.

“We are excited to bring the TELUS World Skins Game in support of BC Children’s Hospital back to Predator Ridge and the beautiful Okanagan Valley,” said Steve Podborski, executive director of TELUS Sport Marketing. “Each year, the TELUS World Skins Game brings many of the biggest names in golf together in support of worthwhile charities and this year it’s all for the kids at BC Children’s Hospital. Presidents Cup captains Fred Couples and Greg Norman going head-to-head this year at the TELUS World Skins Game will be a thrill to watch.”

Couples, a fifteen-time winner on the PGA Tour, including the 1992 Masters, is one of the most popular players in the history of professional golf and is certainly no stranger to fans of the TELUS World Skins Game. In his eight appearances in the Canadian golf event, Couples has won 62 Skins for $1,110,000, the most of any player in the event’s history. He has also won more than $4 Million in the U.S. Skins Game over the years, giving him the well-earned nickname “King of the Skins”.

“I’m very much looking forward to returning to the TELUS World Skins Game,” said Couples. “In fact, I have not participated in the event since the last time it was held at Predator Ridge in 2000, so it will be a nice chance to play again in front of the Canadian fans. They’ve always had tremendous fields for this event, and I’m looking forward to going up against the other players, including Greg.”

The 2008 TELUS World Skins Game will represent Norman’s third time playing in the event. He won the event his first time out in 1997 with 13 Skins for $275,000 at Whistler’s Nicklaus North Golf Club, interrupting the early success enjoyed by Fred Couples who had won the event three of the previous four years.

Tickets for the 2008 TELUS World Skins Game will go on sale Monday, April 14 at 10 a.m. (PST) and can be purchased by calling 1-866-60SKIN1 (1-866-607-5461) or by visiting www.telusskins.com. The remaining three players in the 2008 field will be announced over the next two weeks prior to tickets going on sale.

“I have enjoyed my previous opportunities to come to Canada to play in the Skins Game and wish to thank TELUS for the invitation to play in this year’s event,” said Norman. “Given our appointments as Presidents Cup Captains, I look forward to spending time with Fred, and starting what I’m sure will be a spirited competition.”

The TELUS World Skins Game is a highlight of the Canadian summer sporting schedule, not only for Canadian golf fans, but for the local community as well. TELUS partners each year for the event with a charitable organization that aligns with TELUS’ commitment to “give where we live”. The 2008 TELUS World Skins charity partner will be BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, which supports the provision of expert care for the province’s most seriously ill or injured children.

Predator Ridge is consistently ranked as one of the finest golf courses in the country and is one of only two public golf courses in Western Canada to be named in Score Magazine’s Canadian Top 25 for the past eight years. Opened in 1991, Predator Ridge features an incredible 27-hole layout along with a world-class surrounding community. The resort also boasts swimming pools, AVEDA™ spa, fitness centre, restaurants and a new golf course in the making.

Speaking for Predator Ridge, Randy Zien said “we are honoured and proud to be able to bring the TELUS World Skins Game back to Predator. Our staff, our homeowners, and the entire community are ready to deliver the best Skins Game ever.”

The TELUS Skins Game, an event owned and operated by IMG in Canada for 16 years, has included many of the biggest names in the game including Jack Nicklaus, Sergio Garcia, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson.

About TELUS

TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.1 billion of annual revenue and 11.1 million customer connections including 5.6 million wireless subscribers, 4.4 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers. TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. Committed to being Canada’s premier corporate citizen, we give where we live. Since 2000, TELUS and our team members have contributed more than $113 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 2.1 million hours of service to local communities. Eight TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead our local philanthropic initiatives. For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

About IMG
IMG is the world’s premier sports, entertainment and media enterprise.

Operating in 30 countries, IMG’s diverse businesses include: consulting services; event ownership and management; fashion events and models representation; licensing; golf course design; and client representation in golf, tennis, broadcasting, speakers, European football, rugby, cricket, motor sports, coaching, Olympic sports and action sports.

IMG Academies are the world’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training and educational facilities, delivering world-class sports training experiences to more than 12,000 junior, collegiate, adult, and professional athletes each year.

IMG’s media and entertainment operations include content production subsidiaries Darlow Smithson Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions and Tigress. Globally, IMG produces and distributes more than 11,000 hours of sports, documentary, drama, comedy, entertainment, popular factual and children’s content annually. IMG also represents the broadcast rights to many of the world’s premier sporting events and has the world’s largest sports archive with more than 250,000 hours of footage.

Forstmann Little & Co. purchased IMG in 2004.

More information about IMG is available at www.imgworld.com.

About Predator Ridge Resort
Located in Vernon, Predator Ridge Resort Community is an exceptional place to vacation or call home. The 1,200-acre, award-winning development boasts miles of natural wooded preserves ideal for hiking and biking. Literally steps away is the namesake golf course, a 27-hole facility made up of three different courses that has ranked in Canada’s top 25 public golf courses for eight years running. A full-service clubhouse, golf academy, fitness centre, pools, an AVEDA™ spa and luxurious accommodation offer guests a variety of activities on the resort in addition to its convenient access to lakes, ski hills and wineries.

For more information please visit www.predatorridge.com

The Palm Springs’ Desert Sun speculates that Fred Couples will be back in next year’s Skins Game.

So, here’s your 2008 LG Skins Game field: Stephen Ames, Fred Couples and two unnamed players who may or may not be among the biggest names in the game.

…
OK, it is possible that Couples might not be in the field. After all, only Ames as defending champion is guaranteed a spot in next year’s foursome.

But Couples showed two things over the weekend that likely secured his spot in the 2008 field. First, he’s still competitive. He won $325,000 for the weekend in his usual hit-and-miss fashion, and if one putt falls on the 17th hole, he wins the event.

Second, Couples, a La Quinta resident, remains the fan favorite by a wide margin. Unless Woods shows up, Couples would still be the rooting interest of most of the fans next year. That’s good for the event.

…
Whoever the two new players are, it seems almost certain the other two players will be Couples, the king of the Skins Game, and Ames, the event’s heir apparent.

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In addition to the the Skins Game and Merrill Lynch Shootout, Fred is also playing in the Target World Challenge.

It was also announced that Fred’s playing partner for the Merrill Lynch Shootout is John Daly.

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Couples, one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour, has been coping with a faulty back the last 13 years, but this was the first time he wondered if his career might be over.

“I thought it wouldn’t be the end of the world,” he said. “Playing golf is great, and I’ve done it for 26 years. But the last three years have been horrible.”

…

He called last week while driving back from Waco, Texas, where he has been seeing John Patterson, a back specialist whose clientele includes Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz and Houston Rockets guard Tracy McGrady.

“I wasn’t horrible, just a little crooked,” Couples said. “He loosened me up and I’m heading back to practice and start playing. You want to talk about the Skins Games? I hope with two weeks of good practice, I won’t embarrass myself. But I haven’t play any golf.”

…

There has been progress, however small. He played a corporate outing at The Olympic Club in August. He played a member-guest at Gozzer Ranch in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, five nine-hole matches over three days, and finished second behind Andrew Magee.

“This might be my last hurrah,” Couples said. “If this doesn’t work, I’ll set it down and try to not worry about it.”

Teams are expected to be announced soon.

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One of the criteria is for the highest available player from the 2006 PGA Tour money list, and Wetterich finished at No. 10. Among those who turned down invitations were Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Adam Scott and Vijay Singh. One spot goes to the winner of the Players Championship, but Phil Mickelson rarely plays in the offseason. That pick was used on Johnson.

Couples has been out all year with a severe back injury, and there’s no guarantee he will play. No telling whom organizers will pick to take his spot, or who is even available to create interest.

Fred not in the Skins Game? I think he’d play in that event in traction.

Fans saw once again why Couples was called the “King of Skins”, as the man earned nine more for a $385,000 paycheck. Here are the results:

• Stephen Ames: $590,000
• Fred Couples: $385,000
• John Daly: $25,000
• Fred Funk: $0

In superb shape after day one, Fred made some fantrastic golf shots on the back side, making an eagle at the par-5 16th hole before dropping a bomb at the par-3 17th hole for birdie. Leading the competition heading into the final hole, Couples failed to qualify for the second playoff hole when he and Fred Funk parred the hole. Unfortunately for him, Ames came out on the winning end of the playoff and earned enough money to finish ahead of Fred.

Fred Couples is expected to play in three weeks at Tiger’s tournament. It should be interesting to see how Fred will play there; a good finish there, even though it is not an official tournament, could be a great springboard for the upcoming 2007 season. Stay tuned!

Pictures