Latest news with #FredCouples
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
San Juan Oaks Golf Club Selected as U.S. Amateur Championship Qualifying Site
Hollister, CA June 05, 2025 --( )-- San Juan Oaks Golf Club has been selected as one of 45 local qualifying sites across the United States, Canada and Mexico for the upcoming U.S. Amateur Championship, to be held this August at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The qualifying event will be held at San Juan Oaks on Tuesday, June 24, bringing top amateur players from across the region to compete on one of Northern California's most celebrated prestigious honor highlights San Juan Oaks' significant recent upgrades and its growing reputation as a premier destination for championship-level golf. Designed by PGA legend Fred Couples and architect Gene Bates, San Juan Oaks offers a layout that is both challenging and fair—a rare combination that has earned praise from top amateur and professional players alike. With its strategic bunkering, rolling elevation and meticulous conditioning, the course is ideally suited to test the skills of the game's best emerging talent. 'We're honored to welcome the USGA and the U.S. Amateur to San Juan Oaks,' said Manny Freitas, general manager of San Juan Oaks Golf Club. 'This is a proud moment for our entire team and a testament to the tremendous work that has gone into elevating this course. Our team put a lot of thought into updating the course to test every aspect of a player's game. With strategic bunkering and firm, fast greens, San Juan Oaks is designed to challenge top amateurs while still offering a fair and rewarding experience.' The recent course enhancements—part of a broader reimagining of the San Juan Oaks experience—have further elevated its profile. Players and guests now enjoy not only world-class conditions, but also fine dining at 36° North, casual fare at McCann's and Slices and a fully renovated Pro Shop and clubhouse experience. San Juan Oaks Golf Club is located just outside San Juan Bautista in the rolling hills of Hollister, California, and is widely regarded as one of the top golf destinations in Northern California. Contact Information: Gunn Jerkens Jennifer Stoddard 562-499-6707 Contact via Email Read the full story here: San Juan Oaks Golf Club Selected as U.S. Amateur Championship Qualifying Site Press Release Distributed by
Fox News
29-05-2025
- Business
- Fox News
PGA's Jake Knapp 'not a fan' of golf ball rollback as he promotes new PXG driver giveaway
Golf balls are going further than ever before, resulting in the pros man-handling some of the world's best courses. Players are stronger and faster, as is the technology - and Jake Knapp, whose swing might be the smoothest since Fred Couples, is near the top of the driving distance list. Knapp ranks 31st in average driving distance, averaging 298.9 yards. In 666 drives this season, his golf balls have traveled over 113 miles. Knapp used that money driver, buttery swing and a hot putter to join the 59 Club earlier this year at the Cognizant Classic. However, because it is easier to make the ball go farther, rather than lengthening courses, the USGA has decided to begin rolling back technology in the ball in an effort to preserve the nature of the game. It is safe to say the 31-year-old is "not really a fan of the rollback stuff." "I think if we were going to change golf in any way, I think you could do a lot of different things that don't change a player's deal in depth perception and things like that. I've been playing with basically a golf ball that goes probably about the same distance ever since I was a kid. So it's like, you have all this feel developed over time, and then if you were to change it to go shorter. I mean, there's also things you can do in your equipment to make up for most of that anyway, so I don't think it's going to be as big of a deal as they think," Knapp said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. Knapp is doubling down on that stance after collaborating with both PXG and Pennzoil to give away a brand-new driver. From May 29 to June 25, consumers who purchase a Pennzoil Platinum Full Synthetic bundle at a participating Advance Auto Parts or Carquest retail location, in-store or online, can enter to win a limited-edition Pennzoil PXG driver. "I think having two companies are both just kind of at the top end of the spectrum in each of their crafts. When the opportunity came about, it just seemed like a no-brainer for me, and then when I heard about it, I thought it was something that I really wanted to be a part of," Knapp said of the partnership. If given the choice, Knapp would rather roll back the technology, rather than the ball itself. "I think if, personally, if there was a way that they were going to change it that I think could make it more difficult or kind of get what they want out of it, they could just make more regulations on clubs for professionals or Tour events and things like that, where they're maybe harder to hit, they're smaller, not as forgiving," he said. "There's things like that that I think would be better than rolling back the ball in my personal opinion." However, the Pennzoil PXG driver is not rolled back one bit. "It's one of the fastest drivers on the market right now. And then, not to mention, you know, the forgiveness on it is really second to none. You have a lot of weight in the back, nice big face that sets up square, gives you high ball speed, low spin, and hitting more fairways." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
New York Times
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Masters 2025: Fred Couples is timeless. We can all learn something from him
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Maybe you're like me, starting to feel old. Or you're already old. Or you are, by most measures, young, but getting older. Such stages of life are the only inevitability we all have in common, right? Until death, at least. Fred Couples started feeling old more than 20 years ago. He had a hard time with it. By 2002, the 14-time winner on the PGA Tour had gone four years without a victory and was rarely in contention anymore. He felt like the game had raced by him. The young guys were too good, too strong. He looked around and saw Tiger Woods and Ernie Els and didn't recognize the sport. Advertisement Couples wrote about it all in a March 2002 issue of Sports Illustrated. In a forgotten chapter in golf history, he was a front-facing backer for a possible new entity known as the Majors Tour. The venture (what one might call a, *raises eyebrows*, breakaway league) was meant to offer a platform for prominent players in the shallow swamp between their prime play and their senior tour eligibility. At the time, guys like Couples, Nick Faldo and Greg Norman were still out there playing a regular schedule, but feeling borderline embarrassed. 'I'm 42 and not having a lot of fun on Tour,' Couples wrote. 'I can't compete with the young guys, and I don't see that changing. A lot of players my age end up rotting before they're old enough to join the Senior tour.' I am 42 now and also not having a lot of fun. My back needs surgery, or maybe a séance, and I, too, exist with a general sense of rot. As for my golf game, my current swing speed wouldn't draw sirens on any highway. Sure, I'm roughly the same age as tournament leader Justin Rose, 44, but I sure as hell don't feel like it. So while everyone at this Masters tournament is enjoying the impending cage fight between Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau, I've been over here watching 65-year-old Frederick Steven Couples for two days. That's who I want to relate to. Talk about aspirational. Couples gave it a mighty run this week. An opening round 1-under 71 put him in position to break his own record as the oldest player to make the Masters cut. He did so two years ago at 63 years old. The 71 made him the second-oldest man ever to shoot under par at the Masters. He finished Thursday in a 16-way tie for 11th. Then came Friday. Couples was 2-over on the day through 13 holes and still in position to play the weekend. A bogey on 14 put him on the cut line. A dead pull into the trees on 15 — 'The worst drive I've hit in 20 years,' he said later — led to another bogey. By the 18th, Couples needed a birdie to see Saturday. Patrons hustled to the final green, first to say goodbye to Bernard Langher, then to cheer for Couples. Everyone wanted to see the same story. Suzanne Couples, Fred's wife, rose to her tippy toes to look over the gallery. Advertisement A bogey ended the day with a 5-over 77. Couples missed the cut by two strokes. He tipped his cap anyway and everyone cheered, yelling his name. 'The goal is to make the cut at my age,' he said afterward. 'I didn't, and I'm kind of spinning my wheels thinking just why it was so mediocre.' He was anything but. To the contrary, Freddie offered lessons in approaching the game and navigating the years. Watching him, one thought tolled over and over in my head: Take your time, but don't go slow. Even with a chance to make the cut and carve some more memories out of 40 Aprils in Augusta, Couples approached the practice area Friday like on a casual morning stroll. He walked onto the green, dropped three balls, gripped his putter (left hand low) and smacked putts for 10 minutes or so. Didn't line one 'em up. Didn't use one training aide. Then he and caddie Mark Chaney went to hit balls. For the record — no one can spend more time on a driving range and hit fewer balls than Fred Couples. He talks. He looks around. He leans one hand on a club and rests the other on his hip. He sort of … putzes around. Twice Friday, he addressed the ball and, before swinging, backed off to continue a conversation. As he did, he gripped the club without a glove on his left hand. As he does, he hit every shot without receiving an ounce of data in return, other than that in his mind. Four spots to Couples' left, meanwhile, Langher, another ancient, diligently went through his pre-round routine, standing over a Trackman. Then Aaron Rai showed up next to him, wearing not one glove, but two! Then came Brian Harman, fidgeting over each practice swing. The only time Couples looked uncomfortable was when adjusting the giant heating pad wrapped around his midsection. As it goes with age, Freddie's back is mostly shot. Time brings such limitations. The smart ones accept them. The cool ones embrace them. Advertisement Couples' golf bag, as everyone knows by now, looks like a club swap bin at your local golf store. Head covers everywhere. He carries a driver, 3-wood, 5-wood and 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-hybrids. The rest: 7, 8, 9, irons, some wedges and a putter. A lot of pride keeps a lot of men from turning their own bags into a bouquet of rescue irons. Couples says he wishes he did so back when he was 50. Now I'm over here trying to think of the last time I actually pure'd my 5-iron. As Friday's warmup wrapped, Chaney teed up four balls a few inches away from each other. Couples pulled the cover off a driver and, without a practice swing or seemingly any thought whatsoever, he pulled back and hit one. He addressed the next one. Hit it. Then the next two. Chaney put four balls down. Couples did the same thing. And that was it. He set off for the course. And fans swooned. This is the part that can't be taught, can't be learned. Cool is cool. Couples still looks decidedly like Fred Couples. He long ago let the gray take over, never trying to hide from reality. Now he looks like what he is: A former matinee idol who has spent the last 20 years being one of the game's great legacy acts. Couples is the guy every fan yells to. He's the guy every player talks to. He's the guy who doesn't look out of place talking to Hall of Famers or mingling with 20-somethings. His disposition makes you think he can control the weather. When you take your time, you're in the moment. Thursday's biggest roar at Augusta came when a yellow ball hit a yellow flagstick, dropping in the cup. An eagle on No. 14. Back in the fairway, Couples had talked the ball in, making that familiar lean forward, watching it land and commanding, 'Go. Get up. Go. Go. Go.' Seeing it fall, Couples celebrated not with some dorkish, fervid freak out, but with a single arm in the air, a few shouts over to the gallery, and a kiss for his 6-hybrid. Advertisement He said later he wasn't sure if he ever eagled a par-4 at Augusta. Seems like something someone would recall, no? But Couples has now played 142 competitive rounds in the Masters. Who needs to get caught up in the details? If you don't go slow, you don't worry about the small stuff. All this, it's a lesson in how to stay above the fray. That's where to be and how to grow old. When I asked Couples after his round if he cared about being an inspiration to folks of a certain age, he dodged the question, cracked a joke and said, again, he just wish he had a better day out there. But he said, yeah, he knows, from 30 to 70, all the people trekking around out here want to relate to him. The smart ones do.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples barely missed the Masters cut. For Langer, it was the final time
Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples barely missed the Masters cut. For Langer, it was the final time Fred Couples chips to the green on the 13th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Fred Couples waves after making a putt on the 11th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Bernhard Langer, of Germany, waves to the gallery on the 18th green during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Bernhard Langer, of Germany, celebrates after his shot on the 12th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Bernhard Langer, of Germany, hits from the fairway on the 15th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Bernhard Langer, of Germany, waves to the gallery after the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Bernhard Langer, of Germany, waves to the gallery after the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Fred Couples chips to the green on the 13th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Fred Couples waves after making a putt on the 11th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Bernhard Langer, of Germany, waves to the gallery on the 18th green during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) Bernhard Langer, of Germany, celebrates after his shot on the 12th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) Bernhard Langer, of Germany, hits from the fairway on the 15th hole during the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) Bernhard Langer, of Germany, waves to the gallery after the second round at the Masters golf tournament, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/George Walker IV) AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — More than 30 years ago, Fred Couples helped Bernhard Langer slip back into the green jacket at the Masters. On Friday, both of them nearly made the cut. Langer, playing in his 41st and final Masters, made a couple of birdies on the second nine at Augusta National to get to even for the tournament. But a shot into the water at the 15th led to a double bogey and, needing a par at the last to make the cut on the number, the 67-year-old Langer watched his 10-footer slip past the edge of the hole for a bogey. Advertisement The patrons encircling the hole nevertheless gave the 1985 and '93 champion a standing ovation as he finished up, then walked hand-in-hand with his wife, Vikki Carol, toward the clubhouse to sign his scorecard one last time. 'It was a very special last two days for me,' Langer said afterward, "even starting off walking to the first tee yesterday, I got a standing ovation and the people really, you know, applauded. I almost teared up and almost started crying right there, and I said, 'Come on, get it together, you've got some golf to play.' "It kind of kept going. There were lots of standing ovations throughout the golf course in various spots. Today coming up 18 was mixed emotions because I was still inside the cut line, and even when I made bogey, I wasn't sure I'm totally out of there." It wasn't until the last players on the course finished their rounds a couple of hours later that it became official. Advertisement Langer's competitive career at the Masters was over. 'There were lots of emotions flooding through my mind the last two days as I was walking down the fairways,' he said. "I saw my wife, I saw my four kids, and I saw two of my grandkids came out and supported me, and friends from Germany, and family from Germany. Just even friends from all over the world, literally, were walking a few holes with me. It meant a great deal. 'I just have so many wonderful memories of playing this golf course. I fell in love with it immediately when I played my first round here, and was fortunate to win twice, and come back here for many, many years. Very special.' Twenty-year-old Noah Kent had the best vantage point on the property to watch Langer's final round. The runner-up at the U.S. Amateur, Kent played with him and Will Zalatoris on the warm, sunny day at Augusta National. Advertisement 'Yeah, it was really cool," Kent said. "He's an unbelievable man. Unbelievable player.' A few minutes after Langer finished, the 65-year-old Couples came to the 18th with the cut in mind. He opened with 71, making him the second-oldest player behind Tom Watson to shoot a subpar round at the Masters. But back-to-back bogeys on Friday left the '92 champion needing a birdie at the last. He made bogey instead and missed the cut by two. Still, it was hard to believe Couples was wondering not long ago whether he could still play. He dealt with back issues last year and missed the cut badly, and he needed reassurance from the Masters that the club wanted him to keep competing. "I'm playing next year for sure, yeah. They made that clear they wanted me to come back, so I'm coming back next year," said Couples, who is already the oldest player to make the cut in Masters history after accomplishing the feat two years ago. Advertisement 'Again, as soon as I get in that car and drive out Magnolia Lane and come back tomorrow and have a nice lunch, I'll be fine. But ... the goal is to make the cut at my age. I didn't, and I'm kind of spinning my wheels thinking just why it was so mediocre.' Mediocre, perhaps, but still memorable. The Masters always is for Langer and Couples. 'It's not any tournament," Couple said. 'Other people can say, 'Hey, I'm from Scotland, the British Open is the greatest.' The Masters is the greatest tournament of all time. It's just so unique.' ___ AP Masters coverage:
USA Today
11-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Fred Couples brought some magic to the Masters
Fred Couples brought some magic to the Masters This is For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Here's Mike Sykes. Good morning, Winners! Fred Couples had a bit of Masters Magic cooking on Thursday to open the tournament up. Fingers crossed that he brings more to the table today. After bogeying two holes early on, Couples went for eagle on the 14th in what was an absolutely shocking turn of events. The 65-year-old masterfully pulled this off. The way that hilarious yellow ball sailed through the air from 191 yards out and, eventually, into the hole was a thing of beauty. The crowd went insane. Can you blame them? Again, Couples is 65. After the 14th hole, he was tied for 6th in the tournament. By the end of the day, he was tied for 11th at one under par. Regardless, this was an incredible moment that could lead to a potentially incredible story for the tournament. The Masters is always generally a good time. It's the Masters — the most prestigious event in golf. People are always going to enjoy this. But I think the tournament is at its best when either one of two things happen: We get a run of dominance from someone like we haven't seen before, the way we used to get from Tiger Woods. Or... Someone you wouldn't have guessed in a million years makes a run that you just didn't see coming. That first category is probably reserved for the Scottie Schefflers of the world, at this point. But, if Couples keeps it up, he'll fall into that second category. I'd argue that's the better category. Certainly, it's the most fun one. Especially when it just so happens to be one of golf's OGs that we weren't sure still had it in him. Remember when Tom Watson almost won The Open in 2009? That would be this, but multiplied by 10 because it's the Masters. Safe to say I've got a new rooting interest today. Go get 'em, Freddie. This may also be the funniest Masters ever OK, guys. So two things happened. The first, I'm almost sure you've already seen. At the very least, you've heard this has happened already. It's amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester peeing in Rae's Creek at Augusta. The man had to go! It happens, man. The best part is that he had no shame about it, though I'm sure the powers that be at the Masters are incensed. "I'm like, I really need to pee. Didn't really know where to go, and since (Justin Thomas) had an issue on the green, I'm like, I'm just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me that much, and then they clapped for me," he said. I get it! One thing we should note is that this is the same guy whose coach was forced to leave Augusta earlier this week because he violated the dress code. Make of that what you will! PLEASE READ THIS: Five headlines we should've written for this story because WOW is this hilarious That wasn't the only laugh. There was also Max Homa on the par-5 8th hole. Instead of hitting the green he hit a caddie on the backside. "Come on, dude!" This is so funny, you guys. The caddie walking over and hilariously standing there by the ball as if it's business as usual is a cherry on top. What a moment. Ant vs. Ja Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant are arguably the two most fun players in the NBA right now. Nobody catches bodies like these dudes do. They went head-to-head in an absolute barnburner on Thursday night where the Wolves scored 52 points in the third quarter to create a bit of separation. This game was fun in the "Nobody is playing any defense but who cares?" sort of way. Edwards (44 points) and Morant (36 points) both went off. What a show this was. I should also note that Morant did the grenade celebration again. Guys. I can't lie. It's kind of a fun one. We won't get a playoff series between these two, but man. I wish we could. This would be so fun. Photo Friday: This is what it's all about This is Shane Lowry celebrating with his daughter, Iris, on the greens at the Masters. This guy is living the dream. She'll remember that forever. Quick hits: Paige Bueckers leaning on the past ... Hideki Matsuyama should rage quite ... and more — Our Meg Hall talked to Paige Bueckers about leaning on some of UConn's past greats to guide her to winning it all this season. — Here's Andrew Joseph on Hideki Matsuyama's shot hitting the flag and bouncing into the water at the Masters. I might've cried if I were him. Not gonna lie. — Robert Zeglinski says Nikola Jokic's response to Michael Malone's firing is MVP leadership. — They're even hating on Jose Luis Ballester's hat. This man couldn't win on Thursday. — Here's Christian D'Andrea with more studs and sleepers for the NFL draft at running back. — Here are 17 names in danger at the Masters after Thursday. Things could get sticky, folks. -Sykes ✌️
