Full Name: Fred Couples; nicknamed ‘Boom Boom'
Date of Birth: 3 rd October, 1959
Country: The United States of America
Profile: Fred Couples grew up playing golf at the public courses in Seattle. His father, who worked in Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, introduced young Couples to the game. In 1980, at the age of 21, Couples turned professional.
He won his first career title in 1983 when he captured the Kemper Open on the US PGA Tour. He followed it up with another victory on the tour next year. However, he went through a lean patch in his career from 1985-86 when he did not win any tournament. Couples won his only masters tournament in 1992. That year he as on a roll on his way to the Augusta masters and he won it in a close contest over Raymond Floyd. Till the middle of the 1990s Couples was playing at his best, winning at least three tournaments every season.
His back injury has hampered him a lot throughout his career. He was known for his long drives, which had even earned him the nickname of “Boom Boom”. Still he managed to overcome the pain and continued to ply his trade on the tour. He had almost won the Augusta Masters in 2006 but lost to Phil Mickelson in the final round. Had he been able to win it, he would have broken Jack Nicklaus' record of being the oldest player to win a Masters. According to the Official World Golf Rankings, he was the No. 1 player in the world for 16 weeks in 1992.
Tournaments won
With 38 titles under his belt, Fred Couples has been a name in the golfing arena. He has 15 US PGA Tour tournaments to his name and one masters victory. He has also won two tournaments on the European Tour along with victories at various other tours. Besides these, he has won the Skins Game a record five times. Here is a list of tournaments that he has won so far in his career.
- 2006: ING Par-3 Shootout (OT)
- 2004: Merrill Lynch Skins Game; Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort (OT)
- 2003: Shell Houston Open (US PGA); The ConAgra Foods Skin Game; Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort (OT)
- 2001: Hyundai Team Matches (OT)
- 2000: Canadian Skins Game (OT)
- 1999: Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout; Skins Game (OT)
- 1998: Bob Hope Chrysler Classic; Memorial Tournament (US PGA Tour)
- 1996: THE PLAYERS Championship (US PGA); Canadian Skins Game (OT)
- 1995: Dubai Desert Classic; Johnnie Walker Classic (ET); Johnnie Walker World Championship; Skins Game; World Cup of Golf
- 1994: Buick Open (US PGA); Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout; World Cup of Golf (OT)
- 1993: Honda Classic (US PGA); World Cup of Golf; Alfred Dunhill Cup (OT)
- 1992: Nissan Los Angeles Open; Nestle Invitational; The Masters (US PGA); World Cup (OT)
- 1991: Federal Express St Jude Classic; BC Open (US PGA); Johnnie Walker World Championship (OT)
- 1990: Nissan Los Angeles Open (USPGA); RMCC Invitational; Sazale Classic
- 1987: Byron Nelson Golf Classic (US PGA)
- 1984: Tournament Players Championship (US PGA)
- 1983: Kemper Open (US PGA); JC Penney Classic (OT)
US PGA=US PGA Tour; ET=European Tour; OT=Other Tours
