Fred Couples vs Nick Faldo

Lore & Background

Couples garnered the nickname 'Boom Boom' for his long, accurate driving ability off the tee during the prime of his career. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013. Couples is sometimes called 'Mr. Skins' because of his dominance in the Skins Game, which he has won five times (1995, 1996, 1999, 2003, and 2004). He is also known as the 'King of the Silly Season' for his success in made-for-TV winter events.

Reader's Guide

Couples has one major victory, the 1992 Masters Tournament. He also won the Players Championship twice (1984 and 1996). His first PGA Tour victory came at the 1983 Kemper Open. He was named PGA Tour Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992, and won the Vardon Trophy in those same years. He has been selected to the United States Ryder Cup team five times (1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997). He served as Presidents Cup captain for the 2009 United States team.

Did You Know?

• Couples was the first American player to reach World No. 1 after the Official World Golf Rankings debuted in April 1986, spending 16 weeks at the top.
• He beat PGA Tour veteran Don Bies as a 19-year-old amateur to win the 1978 Washington Open.
• Couples has nine top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, including tying for third in 1991 and 2005.
• He won two European Tour events in back-to-back weeks in 1995: the Dubai Desert Classic and the Johnnie Walker Classic.
• Couples never took a golf lesson and never hired a swing coach, developing his signature loose, rhythmic swing as a self-taught player.