Twenty years ago Fred Couples won his first and only major, the Masters in 1992. Couples was 32 years old then, he's 52 years old now. Does he stand a chance to win it again this weekend?
While he is not grabbing headlines like Tiger Woods or Rory Mcllroy, Couples is coming into this weekend with some momentum. He recently finished 14 under and won the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic two weekends ago. Last weekend, he finished with a score of three under at the Shell Houston Open, earning him 47th place and $16,140 in earnings.
Golf fans from Seattle will likely be rooting for the O'Dea high school graduate, along with golf fans in general. Couples is a respected veteran and face in the golf world.
Michael Bamberger from Sports Illustrated recently picked Mcllroy to win, but labeled Couples as his sleeper:
Bamberger: Rory McIlroy is my pick. My sleeper pick is Fred Couples, who's feeling great. One thing about Rory, he's very bright in golfing terms. He learned so much from last year's Masters, and he'll capitalize on it. (Via: Sports Illustrated)
This will be Couples 28th appearance in the Masters, giving him more experience and perhaps an edge over the other golfers in the field.
"I do know that course really, really well," Couples said. "It seems like I can get around there even better than most courses that I like and play. But, again, it all comes down to (hitting) the right shots." (Via: Kansas City Star)
As for Couples and his thoughts on his own chances of winning?
"Augusta National is his playground," Couples said. "It is for me, too. If that's how you look at the place, you're always going to play well. I would consider Phil to be a favorite every year. You get the Rory McIlroys and Phils that are capable of shooting 66, 67." (Via: Austin CultureMap)
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