For a unique insight into Fred’s life, Golf Digest posted a memorable interview with Fred and caddie Joe LaCava by Bob Verdi yesterday leading up to this week’s PLAYERS.

The Players Championship is played at TPC Sawgrass, designed by Pete Dye. The course plays over 7,200 yards at a par of 72 and opened in 1980.

TV this week:
Thu, 5/7: Golf Channel 1-7
Fri, 5/8: Golf Channel 1-7
Sat, 5/9: NBC 2-7
Sun, 5/10: NBC 2-7

Official site: PGATour.com | Tickets

Defending Champion: Sergio Garcia (-5)

In fact, Fred would have finished the day under par, and a top ten finish, were it not for a missed putt of 19 inches on the 18th hole. The missed putt wasn’t necessarily all on Fred – between the green speeds in excess of 13 on the stimpmeter, the difficult hole location and the gusting winds, even 19 inch putts were not gimmies on this day.

The even par round moved Fred all the way up from 34th place to 15th place, eight shots behind winner Sergio Garcia.

Fred will next play at the end of the month in Columbus, Ohio for the Memorial.

Fred will tee off in the fourth round at 11:10 AM Eastern and his playing partner will be Rory Sabbatini.

The font nine, which was the back nine for Fred, was fairly uneventful until the 16th hole, the 520 yard par 5. Fred hit the longest drive of the day at the hole – unleashing a 350 yard drive that left him just 155 yards to flagstick. He would come up a bit short, but would chip close enough to make his birdie. At 18, his ninth hole, Fred would hit a drive well right into the rough. Despite being in the rough and having an awkward stance, Fred was able to get up near the green – about 30 feet away in the fairway. Fred would putt from there and drain it for a birdie.

The front nine saw Fred make birdie at the par 5 second, but a wayward tee shot at the par three third would land 30 yards short of the green in a bunker. Fred would only hit it about 15 yards out of the bunker, and would take three more shots to get down for a double bogey. He would get one back at the par three eighth, making birdie. Finally, at the par 5 ninth, Fred would hit his drive into the water, leading to bogey and an even par round of 72.

Fred is in a tie for seventh place at 2-under par and just four shots behind leader Kenny Perry. Fred will tee off at 2:06 in the third round of the Players. His playing partner is Stephen Ames.

Below is the transcript following his round.

Q. You did something with dropping a ball on 9. What happened there?
FRED COUPLES: Oh, I hit it in the water and took a penalty shot, so I made a 6 on 9.

Q. Sorry about that.
FRED COUPLES: That’s all right.

Q. Did you ever think you’d be age 48 still in contention for this tournament?
FRED COUPLES: You know, probably not. But I feel like I’m playing well this year, and I do like the course. So if it blows like this for two more rounds, no one knows what they’re going to shoot. I mean, 72 feels like a 68 and 80 feels like 100. It just kind of beats you up.
Every shot you hit is tough. There aren’t any easy ones, and when you do hit a good shot, it’s really hard to make a putt on these greens. They’re so fast, and it’s blowing so hard that it’s hard to get comfortable.

Q. What do you think of the course in May versus in March?
FRED COUPLES: Well, it’s my first two rounds ever. But in March we get a lot of bad weather; it can be cold and windy and wet. And when we get good weather, the course plays hard. This tournament now in May, it’s going to be hard, I think, every year. I don’t see how it can be easy when — I wasn’t here last year but I heard it blew, and May is a time where it’s going to blow. Tomorrow it’s going to be brutal, and Sunday it’ll be borderline U.S. Open-like.

Q. Ridiculous, in other words?
FRED COUPLES: I don’t know about ridiculous, because you can play the course, but you’re not used to U.S. Open-type conditions on this course, and you’re going to get it now.

Q. Do you think it should be set up that way? I mean, not that it’s a bad setup now, but it’s not a place where you can do bump-and-run and things like that, so you’re really left with throwing it into the wind most of the time?
FRED COUPLES: Well, that’s the tough thing. I don’t know if that’s a problem, but that’s a tough thing. I don’t know what you can do. 17 is just a hit-and-miss. I was first up.
You know, the hole before I had a wedge on a par-5 from about 160 downwind, and I stood up there and the flag was kind of looking like it was blowing where it wasn’t into the wind, and I debated on hitting a 9-iron and I went with wedge and I smoked it, and it wasn’t even close. The next two guys, kind of knowing that, not that they had an easy shot, but they hit two 9-irons right in the middle of the green and made par. So if you’re up first, it’s pretty difficult. It’s a judgment game.
But the rest of the holes, as you said, you have to hit really quality shots to keep them on the greens. Part of the problem is the downwind holes are extremely hard. They’re playing short. And then the into-the-wind holes, it’s just hard to pull a club out. You’re always thinking you’re going long and you don’t, and you come up short and you just can’t get it there.

Q. You said one time the secret to playing in the wind was hitting it solidly every time.
FRED COUPLES: That’s what I’ve done the last two days, so I will say that the reason I’m 2-under par is I haven’t flamed too many shots. A lot of it comes from knowing the course, knowing where the greens are and how far you want to hit it.
But some of the younger guys who are here for the first two times, I’m sure it’s just brutal. It’s just hard. You’re playing a hole, you’re 165 yards, you hit a wedge and you carry it a little too far and it goes down a little embankment and you’ve got no chip. Then you play another hole, where it’s side wind, it rolls across the green. You have to get up-and-down and figure you’re going to make a few birdies. If you don’t make any birdies you’re going to really struggle out there. If you make some bogeys, you’re going to make bogeys.

Q. How do you feel about the Bermuda greens versus the overseed?
FRED COUPLES: The greens are absolutely perfect. The greens are the best greens we’ll putt on maybe all year.

Q. How are you physically?
FRED COUPLES: I feel pretty good. I mean, I’m done for the day. I’ll go back and lay down and get ready for a late tee time tomorrow. But I feel good.

Q. You were talking earlier about how well you were playing at 48. Can you talk a little bit about Bernhard at –
FRED COUPLES: Yeah, Kenny Perry, there’s a lot of guys. I think Bernhard, that’s phenomenal golf. He’s a great player. I don’t think with really great players it’s an age thing. He’s playing a lot, which helps. He’s winning on the Senior Tour, which also helps.
You can be 48 years old and never play well and surprise people. But it’s not really a surprise I don’t think. I don’t think he’s shocked. Is he 5- or 6-under? That’s amazing golf, but I don’t think it’s shocking.

Q. Do you think that has something to do with experience which may be important around this golf course?
FRED COUPLES: I think he’s played it enough, but I think he also is winning. I don’t know how many times he’s won this year, but that’s a nice feeling, to go play the last few holes and beat people and win a trophy and come out and play with us and get off to a good start, which he has. I wouldn’t be surprised — and if it stays like this, for him to do well on the weekend.

Couples went out in 34, birdieing the fourth and eighth holes and came in at even par 36, birdieing the two par 5s – the 11th and 16th, but bogeying 14 and 17. On 17, the bogey was the result of a three putt. However, a good save at 18 for par left Fred in good spirits and close to the lead.

In his post round interview, Fred made mention that he’d play the Memorial and then shut it down. Whether or not he still plans to try to qualify for the US and British Opens remains to be seen. Fred tees off in the second round at 12:51 PM Eastern.

Below are is the transcript form his post round interview.

Q. Did you three-putt 17?
FRED COUPLES: I shot 2-under today. What do you want to talk about, the three-putt right out of the box?

Q. I couldn’t figure out how you got there.
FRED COUPLES: I three-putted 17.

Q. You made a great play on 18.
FRED COUPLES: I did.

Q. Not only from where you hit your second shot but your third shot.
FRED COUPLES: And even the short putt I made (laughter).

Q. Was it there today for you and the golf course?
FRED COUPLES: The golf course is — it was playable. I mean, there were some good scores out there, and the wind blew maybe the last eight or nine holes, which will make any course harder, this one especially. But I hit the ball solid and I got it around, and I made a couple mistakes but I made a couple great plays and had enough birdies to shoot under par, which I think you need to make birdies out here.
It’s going to be where you’re going to get a ball downwind, some where you can’t stop it, you’re going to go over the green and make bogey, and you’re going to have to turn around and birdie a hole that you hit a great shot and make a putt. The greens are absolutely perfect so guys will make putts.

Q. What did you hit on your second shot on 18?
FRED COUPLES: 2-iron, sliced it. I figured I could slice it. If I over-sliced it, it probably wouldn’t be great. But if I was 7-over I would have taken one second to hit it, but being 2-under I took a little time and tried to figure it out.

Q. Was the shot on 16 any more or less difficult than that?
FRED COUPLES: No, 16 was okay because if I pulled it left, there’s a lot of green, so it wasn’t too dicey. I didn’t turn it over too much and hit a very good shot there, whereas 18, I knew I had to slice it, and going way right in that rough would be no easy pitch. I could have got it somewhere down near the green.
But 16 was more of a shot where I could maybe be a little more aggressive and not over-hook it.

Q. Are you just as comfortable with this course at this time of year and the way they’ve got it set up now as before?
FRED COUPLES: No, actually the greens are very fast. They’re perfect, but I’m not — it’s not a different course, but around the greens it’s different. It’s different muff, where it’s that fine, whatever it is, Florida Bermudagrass I guess it is.
I think I hit every green but 15 and 18. I took care of that. And I putted okay.
Like I said, I’m not used to the speed of the greens. They’re extremely fast and putts are different, so I’ll come out tomorrow and putt a little more than I did this morning and just try to get a feel for it.

Q. From your experience does this golf course change over the four days of the championship?
FRED COUPLES: Well, it will. It will change, especially if the wind keeps blowing. It’ll dry out. I don’t think we’re going to get rain. They say maybe tomorrow night or something. But if it does not rain and keeps blowing, I think it’ll be brutal Saturday and Sunday.
Joe caddied for someone here last year and said the first day it blew 30 miles an hour and the scores were ridiculous. That’s what we don’t want. If we’re going to move this to May, we don’t want a championship where three of the four days you’re trying to play this course in 20 to 30 mile-an-hour winds. It’s not built for that.
Other than that, it’s going to firm up and play hard. There aren’t even ball marks out there. You just kind of bend over to make it look like you’re doing something (laughter).

Q. You’re playing a lot of golf lately.
FRED COUPLES: I don’t feel as good as I did earlier in the year, but I feel better than I have in a long time. It’s about all coming to an end, though. Another Memorial and then I’ll be in the pits.

Q. Is that the history of it pretty much?
FRED COUPLES: History of?

Q. Your problem.
FRED COUPLES: Yeah, I mean, I’ve been seeing that guy and he’s been making it where I’m not so fidgety and I’m getting back to that spot. But I’m still swinging okay without too much pain or structure where I don’t feel good, whereas three months ago, two months ago, I could I do a lot of — it sounds funny, get a haircut, go to the dentist, where I could just sit. Now I can’t sit still very long. But that’s okay; as long as I don’t feel horrible, I can play.

Q. Before last week were you even confident you’d be here?
FRED COUPLES: I wasn’t on Monday, but then when I heard a couple guys withdrew, I guess Trevor Immelman — did he pull out today?

Q. Yeah.
FRED COUPLES: So even another guy got in. So no, I wasn’t that confident. But if everyone tells you you’re going to get in, you’re going to get in. But when you’re that guy sitting out, you don’t want to hear that.

Q. Course aside, just being here where you’ve had a lot of success and the atmosphere, did it feel good?
FRED COUPLES: Yeah, it’s a great tournament, a lot of people. Not as many as I thought, but they’ll be out tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday. But it’s — you know, it’s the number one tournament we have all year I think for most guys, and the majors would be the only ones above it. So it’s a great course, great clubhouse.

Q. Hard to believe this is your 25th?
FRED COUPLES: Yeah, yeah. I’ve got one more in me maybe. Then I’m done.

Q. Everything considered, you’re really playing well this year. Is it just the putter is going and the back is okay?
FRED COUPLES: Well, I think the back is okay, and I didn’t play much last year at all but maybe — well, I played the two tournaments so I feel fresh. But I think I’m fairly consistent. You know, I haven’t had — I may have one tomorrow, but I haven’t had any bad rounds, so I’m able to not really worry about it.
When I came out from a year off, I came out and played pretty well, and I missed the cut at Phoenix I think the second or third week. But that was the best I hit the ball. And I ended up playing good at San Diego, which was nice to get a good tournament early in the year.
I think I feel pretty confident. I’m not playing tremendous golf, but if you do a few things, you can inch your way up there. In Houston I had a good last day to finish good, and last week to finish in the Top 10 I played four good rounds.

Q. Yeah. It’s good stuff happening for you.
FRED COUPLES: Yeah.

Q. Is that a surprise at all, considering you’re one player removed from not being here?
FRED COUPLES: Well, surprised I got in this week. One player removed, I can promise you I wouldn’t be sitting there for three days waiting at first alternate; that much I can tell you. Not to be mean, I just don’t have that in me because the only thing I don’t have is if I sat here for three days and didn’t get in, I think I’d be miserable for a month. But I know, is it Dustin, he sat here, which was great. But it’s his first year. I’m on my 25th, so there’s another one or two after it.

Q. Are you the only guy still carrying a 2-iron?
FRED COUPLES: I don’t know, I do have one, though.

And here are links to various stories from around the web on his opening round.

Couples is back, and in contention – Florida Times-Union
Perry, Couples score one for the old guys – LA Times
Day 1: Surprises-a-plenty – PGA Tour
Couples makes the most of his chance to play at The Players Championship – The Canadian Press
Experienced Couples cool under PLAYERS pressure – PGA Tour

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Photo Gallery: 2008 Players Championship (Thanks to Fred Fan kmoney655 for the Tuesday practice pictures)

Thursday and Friday Tee Times: (Times Eastern)
Thu, 5/8: 7:51 AM (#1)
Fri, 5/9: 12:51 PM (#10)
Partners: Joe Ogilvie and Steve Flesch

TV this week:
Thu, 5/1: Golf Channel 1-7
Fri, 5/2: Golf Channel 1-7
Sat, 5/3: NBC 2-7
Sun, 5/4: NBC 2-7

Official site: PGATour.com | Tickets are sold out

Defending Champion: Phil Mickelson (-11)

1. Win this week at the Wachovia; or
2. Have two players drop out of the Players

According to Jacksonville.com, Fred is the second alternate for the Players.

The eligibility list for next week’s Players Championship continues to reshuffle, with the losses of Arron Oberholser and Loren Roberts on Wednesday.

Oberholser has been plagued by a shoulder injury for most of the season. Roberts, who qualified for the tournament by winning the 2007 Senior Players Championship, told the PGA Tour that he was not competing next week because it would have resulted in seven consecutive tournaments, six on the Champions Tour.

Tim Wilkinson of New Zealand replaced Oberholser on the list of eligible players. Roberts will not technically be replaced, but because the list is down to 143 (the minimum for the tournament is 144), Matt Jones will be added Monday, if the winner of this week’s Wachovia Championship hasn’t already qualified.

Eligible players have until 5 p.m. Friday to enter, or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the second round of the Wachovia, if they are in the field.

The next player behind Jones on the alternates list is two-time Players champion Fred Couples. The alternates are drawn from the current FedEx Cup points list.

Multiple winners include (in addition to Fred):
Jack Nicklaus (1974, 1976, 1978)
Hal Sutton (1983, 2000)
Steve Elkington (1991, 1997)
Davis Love III (1992, 2003)

By doing so, the PLAYERS gives that extra elevation and incentive to itself as it attempts to mold itself into a major championship. All of the multiple winners of the tournament are major championship winners. Celebrating those that have been most successful in the tournament lends the extra tradition that the PLAYERS needs in order to raise itself in the stature of golf tournaments.

As it stands now, the only way for Fred to make in the PLAYERS Championship field is to win next week’s Wachovia Championship.

(Thanks to Fantastic Freddie Fan jonesy for providing the picture of Fred’s 1984 win at the PLAYERS Championship.)

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If we take a closer look at Fred’s stats for the week, we quickly realise that the putting kept him off a good finish. While Fred is flawless within 3 feet, there seems to be a problem between 5 and 15 feet.�In every round this week, but especially on friday and saturday, Fred had a chance to earn some precious birdies but failed to drop the putts. Unfortunately, there is only one solution to that problem: practice. Couples, who is now almost forced to use the long putter because of his back condition, could be as accurate as he was in the mid-90′s if he was practicing enough. This situation is frustrating to many fans because Fred is still stiking the ball better than anyone at age 46.

You missed the ace? No problem! Here it is!

http://www.earthgolf.com/forum/gforum.cgi?post=67998;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

Thanks to Taylor for his contribution!

Fred next appearance will be at the Masters, by far his favorite tournament. It will be interesting to see how players will deal with another set of modifications at Augusta National. Earlier this year, the man played a couple of rounds at Augusta and shot 65 (-7) in one of them.

�Pictures

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