NEWS

Fred Couples returns for Champions Tour event at Sherwood

By Bob Buttitta
Published on
Fred Couples returns for Champions Tour event at Sherwood

The race for the PGA Champions Tour's Schwab Cup just got a little more interesting with the announcement that Fred Couples will compete in this week's PowerShares QQQ Championship at Sherwood Country Club.

Couples has been out of action for eight months because of a back injury.

Couples has missed most of the Champions Tour season and also couldn't compete in two of his favorite events, the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club and the Masters.

Couples, who has had a long history of dealing with back injuries during his time on the PGA Tour, has a long and successful history with Sherwood Country Club. He played in seven Shark Shootouts at Sherwood, winning the title three times, and eight of Tiger Woods World Challenge events, which included a fourth-place finish.

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"I'm excited to get back to competition, especially in time for the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs," Couples said. "Sherwood Country Club will be a wonderful test for us this week and will have a great atmosphere for golf fans in the greater Los Angeles area."

A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Couples currently lives in Newport Beach. He has always been a fan favorite in Southern California, drawing huge galleries throughout the years.

"Fred is one of the most recognizable figures in all of sports, so his participation this week is a big boost for our tournament and our fans," said PowerShares QQQ Championship executive director O.D. Vincent.

"His presence adds to a stellar field as we begin the inaugural Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, and certainly compliments the buzz already surrounding the PowerShares QQQ Championship."

Couples has 11 career PGA Tour Champions Tour wins. He opened the 2016 season by finishing in a tie for sixth at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship and followed with a runner-up effort at the Chubb Classic before aggravating his back.

The 57-year-old has 15 PGA Tour wins, including a memorable win at the 1992 Masters, his only major title on the PGA Tour. He won the Genesis Open at Riviera in 1990 and 1992. Couples was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.

Couples has had tremendous success on the PGA Tour Champions, notching 53 top-10 finishes in 77 career starts, including major championship titles at the 2011 Constellation Senior Players Championship and 2012 Senior Open Championship.

With Couples joining the event, there are now five World Golf Hall of Fame members in the field at Sherwood, including Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Mark O'Meara and Ian Woosnam, who was just named to the Hall of Fame last week.

The PowerShares QQQ tournament starts Friday and concludes Sunday. It is the first of three events in the race for the Schwab Cup title.

This article was written by Bob Buttitta from Ventura County Star and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.