Fred’s final round was the only round in which Fred didn’t make a birdie and his only double bogey for the week came on the 72nd hole.

Fred will not be able to participate in next year’s World Challenge unless he gets inside the top 50 in the world.

A small gallery of photos from the week can be found here.

Below is the transcript of the post-second round interview with Fred:

DOUG MILNE: Fred Couples, thanks for joining us for a few minutes here in the media center at the Chevron World Challenge. 3-under 69 today, a little hiccup on 18, but other than that a solid round. Just start off with a couple comments on today’s round.

FRED COUPLES: Yeah, I mean, on 18 I’d like to say I’ve hit some shots like that before, but there was a chunk of mud all over the ball, so I knew it was going to go to the right where the mud was. I just couldn’t hit it solid enough or far enough, and it went out straight to the right down there and I got very lucky to find it and make a 5.

I hit the ball very solid, made a few birdies and a few putts, and the only other bogey was on No. 8, the long par-3. I didn’t hit a very good 3-iron and made bogey there.

But birdies were — I birdied No. 2, No. 4, hit it a foot, No. 5, hit it on in two, and No. 9, made about a five-footer for birdie. And then the 12th hole, the par-3, from about eight feet, and then bogeyed the last.

Q. What’s your secret for playing so well at the end of the year?

FRED COUPLES: Well, you know, I don’t know. I played good yesterday and much better today. I’ve played this course so many times that that’s an advantage. To win The Skins Game and to do all this stuff is not the toughest thing in the world to do. It’s fun, and you still have to hit a shot and make a putt. But medal play here, I’ve played well a few times, not that many times, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

But I’m 49 years old. I wouldn’t consider myself to be a threat too much anymore. But I know I can go around this course because of old habit, and I’ve played here and I like the course, so that certainly helps me. Maybe shoot a shot lower every day.

Q. Win this thing and you don’t have to worry about top 50 next year to get back.

FRED COUPLES: Is that right? Did you ask somebody for sure? Tiger was teasing me.

Q. I asked Tommy and he told me (laughter).

FRED COUPLES: No, I’ve played so many times on a sponsor’s exemption, and Tiger came up the other day, and he said, I’ve got to tell you something. I go, “Oh, my God, what did I do wrong?” He said, “You cannot play my tournament next year unless you’re in the top 50.” What am I, 400th right now?

Q. I had it at 387 last week.

FRED COUPLES: Well, Stewart and I finished 8th or 9th so that might have moved me down a couple points.
You know, at worst I’ll play here Tuesday and Wednesday. I’ll always come over here or I’ll watch it.

Q. At 49, and your back and health has been well-documented, but do you take any special pride in finishing where you finished on the Money List through all the years?

FRED COUPLES: Actually last year I was cruising pretty well. I mean, I can pinpoint it through trying to qualify for the U.S. Open, playing 36 holes and missing it and then jumping on a plane and flying from Ohio to California. I woke up the next day, and I didn’t hurt myself playing that day, I just felt horrible for a while. Up until that point, I didn’t really have too many poor tournaments.

And then after that there were — I missed a lot of cuts at the end of the year, I think three in a row, and I didn’t really play that well. So it was kind of frustrating.

So next year I’m exempt; I’m going to play five in a row on the West Coast, and I hope to play well. I mean, I know I can play decent golf, so I’ve said it a long time.

Your question was four or five years ago if I continued to play really poor golf, I probably wouldn’t do it. And even last year I showed some signs where I was in the top 10 a few times and played really well at Houston. I felt like I could still play a little bit.

Q. (Inaudible.)

FRED COUPLES: I know in 1986 I felt like quitting, and I just played really bad everywhere I played, and I played well at the PGA, I think, Hubert Green maybe, if that’s the year. But other than that I’ve been mediocre-consistent for a few years — is that a word, mediocre-consistent? I mean, my back is always an issue, but I’ve said a thousand times that if it was a wrist or a neck or something like that I probably wouldn’t ever be playing. So I feel like I can get the ball around.

Would it be nice to feel good when I was 40, 41, 42? Yeah, but it didn’t work out that way, and there have been a lot of times where I’ve taken it easy because I just feel so bad.

At the same time, you know, I want to play better, and if I work pretty hard, I can do it once in a while, and that’s okay.

Q. You mentioned at 49 you’re not a threat. What happens when you turn 49?

FRED COUPLES: I wasn’t much of a threat at 48, either, but I did do fairly well (laughter).

Q. Is there anything in particular that you can’t do now that you could do –

FRED COUPLES: First of all, look at some of the courses I do well at are ones that I play every year, so in my mind when I go to LA next year, I feel like if there’s a tournament I’ll do well, it’ll be there. So in my mind it jumps out.

You know, I just think that I physically don’t hit the ball every time sound like I did four, five, six, eight years ago. I some days play better than I did when I was 30, but I don’t do it very often, and that’s what it is.

My body goes out there, and there are some days where I look up and the ball is not going anywhere near where I want it to, and then the whole mindset changes that I try and work it around to shoot a score, and that’s not really what you try and do. You try and play the game and shoot a score, and if you get 4-under you want to get 5. It seems like I get 1-over and I want to stay 1-over, and I can’t attack the course because I don’t play that well.

Q. It’s a three-parter as such. Have you spoken to Paul Azinger since the Ryder Cup? Did you learn anything from his captaincy? And do you think he should have been kept on for the U.S. Team Ryder Cup?

FRED COUPLES: Last question, I think maybe he should have been kept on, but I’m not part of the PGA, but it would have been nice. We haven’t won in a while; he won. Maybe he could have been asked. I have no idea.

I saw him at Naples and just laughed a little bit about the whole thing but didn’t really talk to him about it.
What did I learn? I learned that we were ahead on the first day and we stayed ahead, and I think that’s really what you want to do. Next year in October if they’ve got however many points and we have three, I can’t go into the locker room and tell these guys, wow, we need to get going. Obviously they’re pretty smart guys.

Q. (Inaudible.)

FRED COUPLES: I don’t really know how to answer that because I don’t know what he did. I think it’s going to come out in his book. I’m not really sure. I don’t know what he did to do that. It sounded like a great thing.

Q. I’ve got a three-parter, too. How many times have you been drug tested? How do you feel about it? And does it change your attitude if you’re asked after a good round?

FRED COUPLES: I got asked yesterday. It took me two hours to finish it. I was a little pissed at first. And then I sat up there and I talked to the guy and he was actually very nice man. If it happens Sunday and I miss my flight, I’ll be ballistic. Is that a word?

But on yesterday or Friday or Saturday, I can kind of get over it. But I really don’t know, like — I could have a huge outing on Monday, and he’s telling me — it took me two hours, and I kept drinking water, and he said, “If you keep drinking water it may not take;” it may be too this or that. I said, “So then what?” He said, “I’ll have to follow you to the hotel, have to go to dinner with you.” That’s what the drug test is.
Do I have a problem with it? Not really, but I honestly think that — in my opinion maybe if they drew my name before I played, it would not bother me. I can see where some guys may not want to be bothered before they play. I would rather have them tell me because I went on the 14th hole and I just sat with him for two hours. I don’t know much about drug testing. That’s my first time. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, it’s just after learning more, I was asking him, so what happens if it’s Sunday and I told you I’ve got to go to the airport and catch my flight? He goes, “You can’t go.” I don’t know much about it.

DOUG MILNE: As always, we appreciate you coming in.

Fred will tee off at 1:10 PM Eastern today with Luke Donald. TV coverage is the Golf Channel from 3-6 PM Eastern.

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.

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

Couples shot a two-under 70, which dropped him from 17th, where he started the day, down to 24th. Couples had it to 4-under on the day, with the short par 4 15th (which he eagled in the third round) and the par 5 1th to go. Couples attempted to drive the green on the 15th, but his drive went right. He was unable to get up and down. He three putted the par 5 16th, leading to a bogey. Couples picked up another bogey at the 18th when he hit his approach into the water.

Fred finished eight shots behind winner Marc Turnesa.

Couples PGA Tour season is likely over. Couples will play in the ADT Skills Challenge in Florida the first of November and the World Challenge (Tiger’s tournament) in California just before Christmas.

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.

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.