Fred Couples

    Fred Couples

    Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)

    Weight: 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st)

    Birthday: October 3, 1959

    College: University of Houston

    Year turned pro: 1980

    Birthplace: Seattle, Washington, USA

    Country: USA

    Sponsor: –

    Couples was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1959. His father was a groundskeeper for the Seattle Parks Department, and Couples grew up near Jefferson Park golf course, where he first started to play. As a boy, Couples attended O’Dea High School. On graduating, in 1977, he gained a golf scholarship to attend the University of Houston.

    Couples turned professional in 1980, and achieved his first win on the PGA Tour, at the Kemper Open in 1983. Since that initial win, Couples went on to be victorious on a further fourteen occasions, on the PGA Tour. This included a victory at the Masters Tournament in 1992. In both 1991 and 1992, Couples was named PGA Tour Player of the Year. During his time as a player Couples has also played on the US Ryder Cup team on five separate occasions. In addition to his Masters win, Couples has also finished in the top 10 at the Open Championship, on nine occasions.
    Throughout his career Couples has been troubled by back problems, which have mostly been caused by his extreme swing. Nevertheless he has continued to be successful.

    Couples began playing on the Champions Tour in 2010. That same year, he finished runner-up at the 2010 Senior PGA Championship and the U.S. Senior Open. He won Rookie of the Year in his first season on the Champions Tour. Despite being out of action in 2011, due to his back problems, Couples received treatment, and made a comeback on the tour in 2012. That year, he won his second senior major championship, at The Senior Open Championship at Turnberry.
    Couples doesn’t just play golf, he is also a designer of golf courses. His company, Bates Golf Design Group, has created more than 20 award winning golf courses, throughout the world.

    Away from the golf course, Couples has been married twice. His first marriage, to Deborah, ended in 1992, and she later committed suicide. He married Thais Baker in 1998. They later separated, after which she died from breast cancer.

    As of the end of 2014, Couples had achieved 15 wins on the PGA Tour, amassing total prize money of $22,595,873.