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12th place at Chevron World Challenge

Taylor — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:28:17 +0000

Fred Couples was unable to carry his momentum from his Friday round into the weekend at Sherwood Country Club during the Chevron World Challenge. Couples fired an even par 72 on Saturday and ballooned to a final round 78 on Sunday, dropping him 15 shots behind winner Vijay Singh.

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.

Couples moves up the leaderboard in second round of Chevron

Taylor — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:41:15 +0000

Fred Couples made a move up the leaderboard in the second round of the Chevron World Challenge. A second round 69 moved Fred from 9th place to 5th place and is just three shots behind leader Jim Furyk. Couples made 5 birdies and 2 bogeys on the day.

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.

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Couples in ninth after one round at Chevron World Challenge

Taylor — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:49:42 +0000

Fred Couples is playing in this week’s Chevron World Challenge event at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California. After one round, Fred Couples is in ninth place with an opening round 73. The round featured four birdies and five bogeys over the 18 holes.

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 grabs a top 10 at Tiger’s tournament

David — Wed, 05 Jan 2005 05:00:00 +0000

Wednesday, January 5 2005

With rounds of 68 (-3), 70 (-1), 71 (E) and 70 (-1), Fred Couples tied for 8th place at the Target World Challenge.

Despite finishing 11 stokes off the lead, Couples did not shoot an over par round of the week in this 16-player field. For his performance, Couples received a $205,000 check.

This tournament was Fred’s last event in 2004. As usual, the man almost won more money in the “silly season” events than in the regular PgaTour events. In fact, if we add Fred’s earnings from the UBS Cup, the Skins Game and the Target World Challenge, we get a number that is approaching the million. This ironic situation makes fans believe that Couples should ask the Tour to include the “silly season” events as part of the regular schedule.

Stay tuned for a site update before Christmas: At least 2 new picture galleries will be added, as well as some new wallpapers.

Pictures

EquipmentFred now plays a new ball. In fact, he’s playing with a Bridgestone prototype ball called the B330.

For more information on what’s in Fred’s bag, check the “What’s in thebag” section of this site.

Fred leads the Buick !

Taylor — Sun, 13 Jun 2004 05:00:00 +0000

After a brilliant performance at the Memorial last week, Fred Couples is for a second week in a row at the top of the leaderboard.

Fred runner up @ Memorial !

Taylor — Fri, 11 Jun 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Fred Couples shot a fourth consecutive round in the 60′s and finished alone in second place. This is Fred’s best performance in 2004 and certainly his most spectacular effort in years ! Believe it or not, Couples chipped in five times, holed out

Couples shows some magic

Taylor — Sun, 06 Jun 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Couples shot a spectacular 68 (-4) in the third round of the Memorial tournament and will play with Ernie Els in the final pairing.

The man carded only one bogey in the third round, and made five birdies, including one at the very tough 17th hole. On that difficult par-4, Couples drove his ball in the fairway bunker and laid up 70 yards short of the green. He then holed his third shot from the fairway, to get to -10 and a share of second place.

Fred has very good stats this week and we never saw him make that many chips and longs putts. Could tomorrow possibly be the day where Fred will win a tournament for the second straight year? One thing is sure, the race to the finish line will be very hard considering the fact that many great players are in the hunt. We highly recommend that you put a tape in your VCR tomorrow; with all the support Fred gets from the crowd since the beginning of this tournament, there is no doubt that the man will play another solid round tomorrow.

Interviews

Insidetheropes.com does it again: Here’s another interview of Fred after saturday’s round.

http://multimedia.insidetheropes.com/video/116_3_2745.swf

Pictures

Second round 69

Taylor — Sat, 05 Jun 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Despite an ugly start, Fred Couples shot 69 (-3) in the second round of the Memorial Tournament and is only one shot off the lead heading into the weekend.

As Fred fan Andy reports, Couples’ second round was quite something to watch.

(…)
Wow, what a wild day. I’ve certainly never seen a round like that. First off, Freddie is the talk of the tournament. Every hole people are pulling so hard for him, that you kind of feel sorry for the guys he is playing with. For instance, on 16 Fred hit it to about 12 feet, while Craig Perks nearly makes an ace. As they are walking up to the green, Fred gets his usual ovation and about 20 people scream “nice shot Freddie” in one form or another. Finally, after the ovation dies down one guy says “nice shot Craig” and there were a few claps. (…)

Anyhow, Freddie really had the crowd going on a roller coaster ride today. You could tell from the start he wasn’t comfortable. His first drive on number one was about 30 yards to the right, and nearly in someones back yard. He hit a nice shot to the green, but had about 50 feet, 3 putt. On 2, he hit a nice drive down the right, and I assume he just flat out chunked his next shot, because I can’t imagine him laying up. He was a good 30 yards short in two, and couldn’t make a 15 footer for par. The third whole was a complete disaster. He pull hooked his iron into the trees on the left and it rattled around for a while before coming to rest across from the creek. He had no shot from there, but tried to hit it anyway and found the water. He took the drop area and hit a wedge to about 15 feet. Luckily, he eased the next putt in for bogey, boom he is 3 over. He hit a poor tee shot on #4, and at that point I was thinking, “great, who I am going to follow this weekend” He nearly holed the bunker shot and finally had a par. He missed a birdie chance at 5, but then the magic started. He BOMBED drives on both 6 and 7. 6 was about a 12 footer for birdie, and on 7 he hit a wood just over the green and chipped it in for eagle. Back to -3. He hit a decent tee shot on 8 and was just off the green, BOOM chip in birdie. By now the crowd is really going, and by the time we get to 9 everyone is buzzing. He layed well back on 9 and hit a 8 iron or so to about 15 feet, made that for birdie. Craziest 34 I have ever seen.

Back nine: Big push off the tee on 10, where he was in trouble in the trees. Decent shot to just get up to the green, and a terrific flop shot to 3 feet, but he didnt even come close on the putt. Standing on 11 you could tell he wasn’t happy, and he pulls out the driver. He hit the longest tee ball I have ever seen, the thing just carried. He was a good 100 yards past Price and Perks who hit 3 woods. He knocked the second shot on and two putted for birdie. I missed the #12, as the crowd was too much. On 13 he hit about a 6 iron to two feet, a beautiful shot that never left the flag stick. 14 was a wedge to about 15 feet and he left the birdie putt about a roll or two short. 15 he hit 3wood, and had an iron in. He hit the most god awful pull hook I have ever seen a pro hit. He was lucky it kicked right off the trees and gave him a shot. He hit a good pitch to 10 feet and drained the putt to tie Rose for the lead. Crowd was loving it let me tell you. On 16 he hit another great iron shot, as I mentioned above, and drained it for birdie. -8 and the solo leader. He hit a 3 wood on 17 and hit a good iron shot that just carried past the pin and off the grain. Right then, his name goes to the top of the large leaderboard adjacent to the green, and for some reason he hits the simple chip shot 6 feet by. The par putt never had a chance, and it was knocked 4 feet by the hole. The next putt was even uglier, and for as loud as the crowd was for his eagle chip, they were eqaully as load when they moaned that 3 putt. He ended the day with a 2 great shots on 18 to about 8 feet, but he was above the hole and it was a really really fast putt. Good par, crazy round, but great score. It was a lot of fun to watch. All in all, he hit a lot of fantastic shots, but I think nerves or lack of playing lately got to him on a few swings. (…)

After the round, I hung around until he came out of the media tent. He went straight to the range and was there for a good 50 minutes, but hit less than 30 golf balls. (…)

Fred will play with Ernie Els in the third round. They will tee off at 1:27 PM. Finally, here are some interviews and pictures found accross the web related to Fred’s second round.

Interviews

A good interview by insidetheropes.com.

http://multimedia.insidetheropes.com/video/116_2_2745.swf

Another one that took place in the media room at the Memorial Tournament.

An interview with:

FRED COUPLES

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Freddie, for joining us for a few minutes. Kind of a crazy day out there. Why don’t you just share with us the day.

FRED COUPLES: Yeah, there was so many ups and downs and good shots and bad shots that after the first three holes I certainly didn’t think I’d be sitting in here. There was so much luck that I had. I hit two pretty good shots on 17, and I trickled off the green by a couple inches and I decided to chip, and I chipped it strong about seven or eight feet by, six feet by, and I hammered that maybe three and a half feet by and I missed it for bogey to make double.

But going down 18, I said I’ve got so much the last two days that I can’t really be disappointed with that. I would be if it was the 71st hole, but that’s kind of how the day started. And I hit a couple good shots on 18, but you don’t start bogey-bogey-bogey very often, but I was pretty much off. I didn’t feel right, and I still didn’t feel right on 4 and 5. And then on 6, I finally hit a good shot and actually made a putt from about 10 or 12 feet to break this momentum.

And then the next hole I hit a couple good shots through the green by four or five yards, and I chipped it in for eagle, which put me back to 3-under and even par, and then everything started going right and I started hitting the ball better, and I’m happy to be 6-under.

Q. Have you ever felt like this tournament owed you a win because of –

FRED COUPLES: Well, I won in 98. How about that? Do I feel like it owes me two wins? No, that was an odd thing. It was a long time ago. Luckily I got over it, and nowadays we’d be playing, but I don’t know, I could have gone out and shot 75 on Sunday and certainly not given Greg much to shoot for, but no, I love the golf course. I did skip it a few times, but it’s a great spot. Looking back, I probably wish I never would have skipped it, but I missed it a few years.

It’s very tough. Some of the new greens or angles that he’s put in there. I’m not so sure some of the bunkers are a big deal. You can get in them, but I played the 17th hole 3-over for two days. On the old hole it was much easier. If he continues that, someday they might be 2-under here at 36 holes.

Q. You mentioned not feeling right early today. You were talking on TV yesterday about doing something different with Butch. Are you still trying to groove that?

FRED COUPLES: No. Actually club behind the ball, that’s not too difficult, so if the ball is here, normally I’m here and I’ve got the club about right here to help me turn away from the ball better. You know, I just didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel stiff, but I didn’t feel great, and as we got out there a couple times on 6, 7 and 8, I started to kind of tense up. And my back just gets really, really tight, and after doing it so many years, you just kind of have to baby it. And to be honest with you, once I started doing that, I started to play a little bit better.

But the first few holes, I was jacked up ready to go, I just didn’t have the sense or the feeling that I was going to hit a quality shot, and I didn’t. But once I decided not to bend over too many times, I’m always stretching, my back just kind of goes in and goes out, and I just kind of live with it. But when I have back problems I feel different.

Q. Is that a confidence thing, the first three holes, or is it a combination you’re not sure about your back and so that –

FRED COUPLES: No, I mean, the 1st and 3rd holes, with the way the wind was blowing, they weren’t that difficult. I hit a terrible drive on 1, and I ended up trying to drive over the bunker but I got it on the front part of the green, but I three-putted from quite a ways.

2 is a good hole, but I hit a good drive and I just chunked an iron.

3 is a pretty simple hole, so it’s not like you go over there thinking you’re going to be 3-over, but your confidence is shattered a little bit, just the way I hit the ball, not by being a little bit off.

I got it up-and-down on 4 out of the bunker. But no, I always feel confident. Sometimes in the back of my mind I go out there and I haven’t practiced or played enough to feel like I can hit shot after shot after shot because I had seven birdies and an eagle. Most of those were holes that I played really well. I got it over the par 5 in two, and if I hadn’t chipped it in I would have made birdie. But basically, it was not hit and miss early, it was basically miss.

And the 17th hole, I really didn’t — I mean, I just kind of fell asleep, but I didn’t hit bad shots, if there is such a thing as making a bad shot.

Q. I’m not sure how you did on the par 5s in 98 when you won here. I assume quite well. Do you have a certain number you try to reach overall for the week on the 5s? I guess in 2000 or 2001, Tiger was 14-under and the field was 2-under. What kind of number do you go for?

FRED COUPLES: Well, they’re scattered out in pretty good spots. If you can get off to a good start and ride it well on the 5th hole you can go for it, but I didn’t today, and I was playing so poorly.

Then you hit 7 and 11 and 15, they’re all different holes. And No. 5, you have to hit incredible shots to knock it on there.

I bogeyed 10 today. I decided to hit driver, and I hit it — knocked it on with a 3-iron, and I don’t know how it got way down there, if the wind kind of switched, but I just decided to give it a go, otherwise it’s a difficult three-shot hole.

With a wedge or a sand wedge you can certainly get it up-and-down or knock it on there stiff, but you can make birdies or you can make bogeys.

Q. Freddie, you were talking about babying your back at times. The story last year with you was obviously how you were rejuvenated and reenthused about the game and that you wanted to practice again. And I was wondering, how do you balance wanting to practice with wanting to be careful with your back? How have you gone about that?

FRED COUPLES: Well, I wish things would have been different. I mean, I still love to play. I play golf, but last year I pushed myself. I mean, at Wachovia, I was leading the tournament and my back went out. I certainly don’t think I would have ended up winning. Maybe I would have, but it was just a bummer. I mean, I had four holes to go on Friday and I was 8 or 9-under on that golf course, and for the rest of the year from that point out I had all kinds of problems. I was out for four or five weeks it seemed like all the time.

I started to play a lot. This year I haven’t clicked as much. I’ve seen Butch a number of times, and I’ve improved, but it’s just a little bit off, and I feel like I’m able to make cuts, so I don’t live and die on that, but there’s more to it. So after three or four years of pretty poor golf, it was really a letdown to get injured or whatever, because it was mostly bending down and lining up putts or teeing the ball up. It was really never my swing.

So I’ve never been able to find a happy medium. I can take it easy, but I can also take it easy and then turn it on in practice, and sometimes it certainly helps, but it’s just one of those deals.

Q. So these last two days are kind of like a microcosm of your last year and a half?

FRED COUPLES: You know, I don’t feel bad. I know when it’s coming, and I wouldn’t say it’s too far away.

Q. Playing well or the back?

FRED COUPLES: Well, hopefully both, but I don’t know which is going to come first (laughter). Maybe Sunday night or whatever, but I went to Korea and my back went out on Tuesday, and I’ve never been able to come back somehow — I ended up playing golf on Thursday and played the tournament and then went home for eight days and relaxed. I played the last couple days I was in Santa Barbara. But I got up from a chair at breakfast just like I’m going to get out of here, and I just froze and — it’s the weirdest thing. You would think you would slap it out of the rough and twist your back in half. That’s never happened. It’s usually the dumbest things. And so I walk on eggshells all day long and then I get out of a chair and my back goes out. I can go out and hit balls, which I’m going to try and go do, and I can get tired and my back can ache, but normally when I’m out of commission, it’s goofy, crazy stuff.

Q. Getting out of the chair was in Korea at breakfast?

FRED COUPLES: Yes.

Q. Some guys’ careers, they feel they’re cursed by bad luck or they’re blessed by good luck –

FRED COUPLES: No, I have great luck. If you’ve watched me play the last two days, I can do that for 24 years now. You make your own luck, as they say, but could I have won more — yeah, I could have had more 2nd place finishes, too, I could have had better finishes all the time, but I’m not totally into whether I win 15 times or 30 times. You know, I enjoy playing.

Went to dinner at Davis’ last night and a few people came over, and to me that’s fine. It’s a very lonely thing. This is not a whole lot of fun for me to walk around and think I can play pretty well. This is fun. If I can do this ten times a year, I’d do it the rest of my life, but when you’re never in the lead and every now and then when you do well, it’s not a whole lot of fun.

Lucky parts all pass, and I’ve gotten a lot of good breaks, but as far as having a back issue, if you asked me 15 years from now and I’ve quit and I can’t straighten up, then I’ll come back and tell you I should have stopped five years ago, but I don’t think that will — I hope it doesn’t happen.

Q. What was your mental state after those first few holes? Can you still concentrate –

FRED COUPLES: I told my caddie, fortunately or unfortunately, we have 14 holes left (laughter), and knowing him, you know, he popped off and he said — he said a few things, but he said let’s look at it. Fortunately, you have a lot of holes left.

You know, I didn’t picture a whole lot of easy holes after the first three, and to get whatever I was, 9-under from there on in, four of the holes I played with a couple bogeys and a double, so I felt pretty good about what I did. I’m hoping to hit it off the first tee tomorrow better and go from there, but as I said, it’s a tough course.

However you get to 69, I mean, I could have made four birdies and a bogey. I’m not so sure I’d be better off to do what I did, because I hit some real good shots, and that’s what I’ve been looking for. You know, these bogeys are happening, but coming up to the U.S. Open, I need to start hitting the ball better, otherwise I’ll have a lot more bogeys there.

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Let’s quickly just take you through your card and we’ll let you out of here.

FRED COUPLES: The first ball, I got it on the front part and three-putted from 40, 50 feet.

2, I hit a good drive off the tee but chunked an iron 20 yards short of the green and two-putted for bogey.

3, actually was pulled, but it hit the tree in the corner and ricocheted across the creek. Then I tried a stupid shot, hit it in the water, dropped it, knocked it on the green and made about a 15-footer for bogey.

6, good drive and a wedge, ten feet.

7, driver, 3-wood over the green, chipped in with a pitching wedge.

8, forgot that one. I missed the green, just off the green and chipped it in for about 30 feet.

9, hit a 9-iron 20 feet by the hole, made it.

10, hit it short of the green on the upslope of the bunker but had an easier chip than I would have in the bunker, and I blasted out to four feet and I missed it.

11, hit the driver and 3-iron on, 40 feet, two-putted.

13, hit a good 7-iron to about three feet, made birdie.

15, hit a good drive and pull-hooked an iron, went through the trees left of the green about 50 yards short of the green, and I made it up and made about a ten-footer, good up-and-down.

16, hit a good 5-iron to 12 feet and made it.

17, just off, chipped on, three-putted.

Thanks, you guys.

Pictures

Two pictures of Fred taken today at the Memorial.

Fred in contention after one

Taylor — Fri, 04 Jun 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Friday, June 4 2004

In what could have been an incredible day for Fred, the man managed to shoot 69 (-3) in the first round of the Memorial Tournament. Couples crushed the ball all day long, but failed to drop some birdies on the front side despite countless occasions inside the 15 feet range. Fred fan miked330 reports:

” Great round today by Fred, I followed him for all 18, so I’ll try tell you a few things you didn’t see on TV. Funny moment on the range when Fred was warming up. He was on the end of the range about 20 yards from the next guy. He was doin his usual hit a shot, then talk to Joe for about 5 minutes. Anyways, Tiger came out to the range and snuck up right behind Fred and scared the crap out of him. Fred jumped and dropped his driver. The crowd and Tiger got a big laugh out of that.

Fred hit the ball awesome all day. The man put on an absolute ball striking clinic. He really only missed 1 shot out there, which was his 2nd on 17. Even his drive on 18 was hit well, he just yanked it a little bit. Fred hit mainly 3-woods on the par 4′s and 5′s and he hammered the old S2H2 all day long, consistently hitting it by Price’s and Perks drivers. He did hit a few drivers(still the old 510), and he really laid into one on the par 5 7th. He tried to carry the new bunkers down the left side of the fairway to give himself a chance to get there in 2. Hit it a ton, but its a 311 yard carry and he missed carrying the bunker by no more than 5 yards. It was a struggle for most of the day on the greens, as Fred missed what seemed like countless 10 footers for bird, especially on the front. You could sense that he was really getting frustrated out there because he was hitting it so good and making pars. He finally got one to drop on the 10th, and thats when it started to get exciting. Fred hit a good wedge into 11 and lipped out his birdie there. Hit a great shot into the par-3 12th to about 8 feet or so and canned it. That birdie got him to 3 under and things were lookin good. He bogeyed 14, but he hit a really good shot and just got unlucky. The pin was cut just over the creek and he tried to land it behind and spin it back, but it kicked to hard. He was posing on that one. You all know what happened on 15, so all I’m gonna say is that was the loudest roar I have ever heard on a golf course in my life, and I’ve been to quite a few tournaments, including Augusta. Great shot on 16, really solid and high, barely missed the putt. Smoked 3-wood on 17 and then just tugged his second slightly and then 3 putted. Great par save on 18 which I’m sure was on TV. After the round Fred did a ton of interviews and you could really feel the excitement that he was back on the top of a leaderboard again. (…) “

Interview

Fred gave an interview to insidetheropes.com after today’s round. You can view the interview by following this link:

http://multimedia.insidetheropes.com/video/116_1_2745.swf

Pictures

Here is a picture taken after Fred’s drive on the 18th hole. Couples drove his ball in the water on that hole, but managed to save par with a magnificient approach to 7 feet.

Top 5 for Couples in Korea!

Taylor — Thu, 03 Jun 2004 05:00:00 +0000

Thursday, June 3 2004

Fred Couples shot 71 (-1) in the final round of the SK Telecom Open and finished tied for 5th place.

Fred played some very solid golf in the last round considering the fact that only one player broke 70. Couples finished 5 shots back of winner Simon Yates from Scotland, and cashed a $15,000 check.

The complete results can be found at this location:

http://www.asiantour.com/result_sk.html

Fred is obviously not playing this week, as he is�flying back to the United States, but should enter the Memorial in two weeks.