Shell Houston Open player spotlight: Fred Couples

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Each week during the 2009 season, PGATOUR.COM has spotlighted one key player in the field. (Click here to see previous spotlights.) For this week's Shell Houston Open, however, we've chosen to feature 2009 Presidents Cup captains Greg Norman and Fred Couples.

Couples returns to the Shell Houston Open, where he's a two-time winner.

Consider this file to be your one-stop source for everything concerning Fred this week, with links to Fred-related content, notes and stats, and video and other multimedia elements. Then, once competition starts, we'll update this file every day with Fred's results and statistics after each round in Texas.

Sunday

Transcript: Fred's final-round interview

Saturday
Watch: Fred puts the finishing touches on his second-round 69

Friday
Transcript: Fred's Friday interview

Wednesday
Read: Fred's transcript from his pre-tournament interview with Greg Norman
Read: Couples and Norman on Tiger/Phil rivalry
Watch: Couples talks about the Presidents Cup

Fred Couples: Featured content

DECADES INTERTWINED. Despite how very different Fred Couples and Greg Norman are, writes Melanie Hauser, the two have been intertwined for more than 30 years. Click here for column IN THEIR OWN WORDS. We asked the two Presidents Cup captains (Norman for the International team, Couples for the United States team) to provide their thoughts on three points of discussion. Click here for more WHY WE LOVE HIM. There's something comfortable and familiar about Fred Couples. Melanie Hauser writes about the man behind the famous persona. Click here for more ALMOST 50. Why is Fred Couples the perfect match for the Champions Tour? We've previewed what to expect when Boom Boom joins the 50-and-over crownd. Click here for more PLAYER PAGE. Want more on Fred? On his PGATOUR.com player page, you can check out his results through the years, or how he ranks on TOUR in certain statistical categories. Click here for player page COUPLES BLOG. Fred shares his thoughts on The Presidents Cup, Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake in a blog for PGATOUR.COM. Click here for blog

Fred Couples: Featured videos

FLASHBACK: 2003 SHELL HOUSTON OPEN. Fred Couples' emotional win at the 2003 Shell Houston Open was his first victory since winning the 1998 Memorial Tournament. A University of Houston alum, Couples' became the first player from his alma mater to win the Houston event. Click here to watch COUPLES REMEMBERS. No player embodies the competitive spirit of The Presidents Cup more than four-time American team member Fred Couples, whose legendary exploits led to three U.S. victories. Click here to watch CAPTAIN AMERICA. Fred Couples talks about the 2009 Presidents Cup, the role Michael Jordan will have with his team, and his general outlook on the course and the teams. Click here to watch A KEY BIRDIE. On the final day of competition at the 2005 Presidents Cup, Fred Couples rolled in a clutch birdie on the 18th hole to win his singles match 1-up against Vijay Singh and earned a key point for the United States. Click here to watch

Take Five

Five things you should know about Fred Couples

Couples is the king of the Skins Game and other unofficial events on the PGA TOUR. He has 21 victories in the select-field or team events, while Tiger Woods is next on the "unofficial victories" list with 13. When Tiger Woods was a kid, he used to dress in oversized shirts like Couples. "A lot of things about Freddie are special, but the best thing is, he's so genuine," says Woods. "...He can be hilarious rambling about nothing, or he can just stand there and make people feel good." He learned gardening from his dad, who was a groundskeeper at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Couples is still an avid gardener and claims that gardening can be "addictive". Couples, or "Boom Boom", as he's known to his many fans, led the PGA TOUR Money List in 1992 with $1,344,188. He was selected by his peers as the PGA TOUR Player of the Year in 1991 and 1992, the year he won the Masters. While attending the University of Houston for college, the Seattle native lived with CBS broadcaster roomed with Jim Nantz and fellow golfer Blaine McCallister. Couples is now close friends with Davis Love III.

Driving distance king

Couples has always been one of the TOUR's longest drivers. For over two decades, Boom Boom ranked in the top-25 in the TOUR's driving distance category. Check out his record: Year Couples' rank Couples' average (in yards) No. 1 driver Top driving average (in yards) 1981 2nd 277.6 Dan Pohl 280.1 1982 8th 287.7 Bill Calfee 275.3 1983 7th 270.8 Curt Byrum 276.0 1984 2nd 276.3 Bill Glasson 276.5 1985 2nd 276.9 Andy Bean 278.2 1986 4th 279.9 Davis Love III 285.7 1987 6th 276.8 John McComish 283.9 1988 22nd 272.6 Steve Thomas 284.6 1989 15th 273.2 Ed Humenik 280.9 1990 13th 272.6 Tom Purtzer 279.6 1991 3rd 280.7 John Daly 288.9 1992 5th 274.8 John Daly 283.4 1993 7th 275.0 John Daly 288.9 1994 3rd 279.9 Davis Love III 283.8 1995 10th 276.3 John Daly 289.0 1996 3rd 285.8 John Daly 288.8 1997 8th 283.5 John Daly 302.0 1998 4th 289.1 John Daly 299.4 1999 15th 283.4 John Daly 305.6 2000 13th 284.7 John Daly 301.4 2001 21st 288.2 John Daly 306.7 2002 26th 288.6 John Daly 306.8 2003 42nd 293.4 Hank Kuehne 321.4 2004 35th 294.5 Hank Kuehne 314.4 2005 39th 296.4 Scott Hend 318.9 2006 15th 301.5 Bubba Watson 319.6 2008 16th 299.6 Bubba Watson 315.1