News about Fred Couples

Masters champion Fred Couples took a shot at LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman after he reportedly bought his own ticket to attend the tournament at Augusta National. LIV Golf had 13 players in the field - including Bryson DeChambeau, who had the sole lead through 18 holes and shared the lead through 36. Couples laughed at the commissioner through social media, wondering how he could have over a dozen players in the field but none could get 'The Shark' in.

Countless Wall Street bankers would have jetted down to Augusta National this week to soak in the action. But unlike the rest of them, Stewart Hagestad won't be watching The Masters from behind the ropes, he'll be playing it.  Unlike the majority of the 89-player field, golf isn't Hagestad's full-time job. The 33-year-old is an associate at BDT & MSD Partners, an investment and advisory firm that has more than $60 billion of assets under management, who sneaks in a few holes after shutting down his computer for the day.  Hagestad played his way into The Masters field by winning last year's US Mid-Amateur - a competition for players 25 or older. 

MIKE KEEGAN'S TEE-TIME TALES: As is the norm, huge queues have snaked out of the Masters golf shop as patrons load up on precious merchandise that cannot be bought anywhere else.  While many grab balls, markers, tees and clothing, $49.50 (£40) gnomes have become one of the hottest properties.  The craze began when the bearded chaps where introduced in 2016. 

The world No. 1 is the world No. 10. After the third round of the Texas Children's Houston Open, 1 Scottie Scheffler is one of five players tied for the lead. Scheffler fired a 4-under 66 at Memorial Park Golf Course in the final round on Sunday. He is joined on the leaderboard by England's David Skinns, who shot a bogey-free 65 in his debut at the tournament, Andrea Jaeger (66), Argentina's Alejandro Tosti (68) and Belgium's Thomas Detry (67).

Rory McIlroy's tumultuous feud with Joe LaCava at the Ryder Cup began with the caddie threatening him to'relax,' Fred Couples has revealed. On the 18th green in Rome, the US vice captain and the United States were chatting on his SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio show when he relayed what McIlroy and LaCava had said to each other. 'I asked [LaCava] what was said.' Rory looked at him and said, 'Mooove', he said. He made the 'ooo' last a little longer. Thention of 'Relax, Rory,' Couples said, and Joe replied, 'Relax, Rory.'

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI: The American picks have arrived, and Zach Johnson has thrown the dice, and the picks have been rolled. The US captain took a punt on Justin Thomas in his attempts to win the Ryder Cup on foreign soil for the first time in 30 years, in a series of six wild cards that was mostly consistent with hopes save for one broken promise. It is a move that puts tremendous faith in the two-time major winner's ability to demonstrate that the class is permanent, owing to the fact that his deployment in Rome next month is a significant danger. The 30-year-old has a superb resume for the United States, but it must also be compared to a tough 2023, which includes five missed cuts in his last eight starts and a tie for 60th.

A European has conquered the PGA Tour for the fifth time in eight seasons, with Viktor Hovland's victory in the FedEx Cup on Sunday, but the question remains as to how the Americans will plant their flag on this side of the water for the first time since 1993. It's quite bizarre, as the deliberations involving US Captain Zach Johnson as he prepares to reveal his picks for the Ryder Cup in less than a month are unfolding. If the benefit of his work is the vastness of the American talent pool, then it will also be the source of some difficulties.

For a brief moment on Sunday evening, the RBC Canadian Openway turned away from the seismic events of the previous few weeks to the 18th green. In front of a home audience in dramatic circumstances, Nick Taylor won his third victory on the PGA Tour. During a playoff against Tommy Fleetwood, the Canadian claimed a dramatic and tough win. And although Adam Hadwin was tackled to the ground by a security guard on the 18th green, the evening brought a rosier tone to what had been a bizarre and difficult week for golf.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI AT AUGUSTA: Rory McIlroy came here to tear up trees. The trees were clearly eager to comply, which is much more true of any of McIlroy's bags' sticks. The inevitable was not announced this morning, which means that the world No. 2's new campaign at the grand slam was over. With it, he has another year to contemplate and reflect on Augusta National's unethical nature and his continuing inability to solve them. And the weather didn't help him. It fell apart between his final bogey of his 77 on Friday and the second round's belated conclusion. The wind howled. The cut line stoked from two over to three.

The gloomy, rainy weather on Saturday morning made him a poor omen for the five-time champion and his fight to make the weekend as he stumbled to finish three-over after two rounds with the predicted cut time at two-over. But the 15-time major winner was denied by close friend Justin Thomas after his fellow American dropped shots on 17 and 18, causing the projected cut line to fold over, despite the protagonist losing it himself. Woods has tied for the most consecutive cuts made at 23 years with Gary Player and Fred Couples, making it to the weekend for his latest Augusta outing.

With a 74 on Saturday morning, the 63-year-old continued his first round of 71 with a 74, then came back to Augusta National to end his second round after play was postponed Friday. The 1992 champion, who put the final touches of his second round, was welcomed into the clubhouse at one-over, just one shot behind the predicted cut line, and was expected to make it to the final 36 holes. Couples will be the oldest player to make the cut at The Masters for 63 years, six months, and five days, beating Bernhard Langer's record from 2020, which was lowered to 63 years, 2 months, and 18 days.

According to PGA legend Fred Couples, Will Zalatoris turned down a tempting nine-figure bid to join LIV Golf. With runner-up finishes at the 2021 Masters and last year's PGA Championship, the 26-year-old Zalatoris has made a name for himself, and LIV has evidently taken notice. Couples said Zalatoris had been paid a whopping $130 million after an initial bid of $35 million, but the Saudi-backed league has turned them down.

Two couples, who have largely advocated for the PGA Tour since LIV's inception, took to Twitter to criticize No. 2 Cameron Smith, who said he joined the Saudi-funded tour in order to spend more time with his family. 'To all my colleagues who missed birthdays and weddings, I'm so sorry, but I was busy earning a living on the @pgatour and in my line of work, so I'm sorry. The aim is to EARN your way to work weekends.' And by weekends, i mean 72 holes. The 62-year-old, who has won 64 professional tournaments in his career, said sorry not sorry.'