Early years and education

Couples was born in Seattle, Washington, to Tom and Violet (Sobich) Couples. His paternal grandparents immigrated from Italy and changed the family name from "Coppola" to "Couples" to make it sound less ethnic, and his mother was of Croatian descent. His father was a groundskeeper for the Seattle Parks Department and the family, which included brother Tom, Jr., and sister Cindy, lived in a modest house on Beacon Hill near the city's Jefferson Park golf course, where Couples developed his signature loose, rhythmic swing in order to gain enough distance to keep up with the older children.

Couples attended O'Dea High School in Seattle and graduated in 1977. He accepted a golf scholarship to the University of Houston. As a member of the Houston Cougars men's golf team, he roomed with Blaine McCallister, another future PGA Tour player, and future CBS television broadcaster Jim Nantz.

Professional career

PGA Tour

Couples' first PGA Tour victory came at the 1983 Kemper Open. Playing in the final group with Scott Simpson and Chen Tze-chung, the three golfers finished over one hour after the previous group on the golf course. In spite of rounds of 77, 76 and 77, Couples, Simpson and Chen finished tied for first along with Gil Morgan and Barry Jaeckel who had finished their rounds several hours earlier. Jaeckel, who spent time in a bar waiting for regulation play to conclude, was eliminated on the first playoff hole after hitting a wild tee shot. On the second hole, Couples scored a birdie to take home the title.

In addition to his Kemper Open win, Couples won another fourteen PGA Tour titles. Among them were two Players Championships (in 1984 and 1996) and one major victory, the 1992 Masters Tournament.

Couples was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year twice, in 1991 and 1992. He also won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average in each of those years. He has been named to the United States Ryder Cup team five times, in 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997.

In 1992, Couples became the first American player to reach the number one position in the Official World Golf Rankings (since the World Ranking points system debuted in April 1986). He spent 16 weeks at number 1, after one of the hottest ever starts to a season by a PGA Tour player. Beginning with the Nissan Los Angeles Open, where he defeated Davis Love III in a playoff, Couples won two tournaments and finished second in two others in the five weeks leading up to The Masters. At Augusta, Couples carried over his momentum, shooting in the 60s in each of the first three rounds to hold second place heading into Sunday. After a shaky start to his final round that allowed 49-year-old Raymond Floyd to claim the lead, Couples took it back with 18- and 20-foot birdie putts at the 8th and 9th holes, respectively, then saved par on a slick 6-footer at 10. At 12 (perhaps the scariest par-3 in the world), Couples barely cleared Rae's Creek in front of the green. Although his ball rolled back towards the water, it incredibly remained on the bank and he saved par. Sensing that destiny was on his side, Couples held off Floyd the rest of the way, completing Augusta's treacherous back nine with eight pars and one birdie to win his first Major. The win pushed Couples past the $1 million mark in earnings on the season as well, by far the fastest any player had reached that plateau.

Couples is sometimes called "Mr. Skins" because of his dominance in the Skins Game. He has won the event five times (in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2004), accumulating US$3,515,000 and 77 skins in 11 appearances. Because of his dominance at the Skins and other off-season events like the Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship, Couples is also known as the "King of the Silly Season," referring to the exotic made-for-TV events staged in the winter that are better known as the "silly season". Couples was frequently accused of "choking" in his early career, with mistakes in the 1989 Ryder Cup and the 1990 PGA Championship at Shoal Creek Golf and Country Club often mentioned.

Couples has nine top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, including tying for third in 1991 at Royal Birkdale, shooting a last round 64, and again tying for third in 2005 at St Andrews.

Back injuries have affected Couples' career. His swing features an extreme shoulder turn at the top, which, combined with the fact that he keeps his left foot flat on the ground throughout the backswing, puts a lot of pressure on his lower back. However, with an abbreviated schedule, Couples is still one of the best players on Tour. In 2003, at age 44, Couples finished 34th on the PGA Tour money list. That year he also won the Shell Houston Open, his first win in five years; Couples wept with joy after the win, but quickly explained the tears, saying: "I'm always emotional when nice things happen to nice people."

In April 2006, Couples challenged at Augusta, making a Sunday run at what would have been his second green jacket before finally losing to eventual winner Phil Mickelson, with whom he was paired in the final round. Had Couples won, he would have been the oldest player ever to win the Masters at age 7009146789280000000♠46 years, 188 days—supplanting Jack Nicklaus, who, coincidentally, won his final Masters 20 years earlier and also at the age of 46. His competitiveness in the tournament was an encouraging sign for his career. "I didn't hit the ball like I was 46," Couples said.

Couples' part in the USA 1993 Dunhill Cup win included victory in all five of his matches, and his overall record reads: played 16, won 12, lost 4. In 2004, Couples won the Dunhill Links Championship Team Event at St Andrews, partnered by New Zealand amateur Craig Heatley.

In 2005 Couples sank a crucial putt in the Presidents Cup, securing an unlikely 1-up victory over the International team's best player, Vijay Singh. This match proved to be pivotal in the contest. Couples has now played Singh three times in Presidents Cup match play, and has yet to lose.

Couples was sidelined for virtually the entire 2007 season because of health problems. However, he did compete in the 2007 Masters, making the cut for the 23rd consecutive time, tying the record held by Gary Player. Couples missed the cut in 2008 and 2009.

In 2009, Couples limited his play but performed impressively at the Northern Trust Open. If it wasn't for Phil Mickelson shooting a 62 on that Saturday, Couples may have won instead of finishing third. He nearly won the Shell Houston Open but bogeyed the last three holes and finished third behind Paul Casey. He also played well at the HP Byron Nelson Championship (T8) and the AT&T National (T11) tournaments. He hurt his back practicing for the RBC Canadian Open and had to withdraw. But he rested and recovered and made the cut for the 2009 PGA Championship (T36) and performed successfully in the Wyndham Championship (T5) which put him past the $1,000,000 mark on the money list for the 7th time in his career.

Couples was named as 2009 Presidents Cup captain for the United States team on February 26, 2008, and led the United States team to a decisive victory.

Couples tied with Jason Dufner after leading the second round of the 2012 Masters Tournament, looking to become the oldest person to win a major. He finished tied for 12th.

He is one of the few professional golfers who never plays with a glove.

Champions Tour

Couples made his debut on the Champions Tour at the opening event of the 2010 season, the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii. He nearly won the tournament, finishing second to Tom Watson. Despite the loss, Couples stated, "I had a wonderful time. I think I was 21 under par and didn't win a tournament. That hasn't happened too many times." Had he won, he would have become the 16th player to win his Champions Tour debut. He won his next three starts, The ACE Group Classic, the Toshiba Classic and the Cap Cana Championship, becoming the first player in Champions Tour history to win three of his first four career events. Couples made another run at the 2010 Masters Tournament but finished 6th. It was his 26th top ten finish in a major tournament.

He finished second in the 2010 Senior PGA Championship. Later in the same year he finished runner-up to Bernhard Langer in the U.S. Senior Open. Couples had a one shot lead after 55 holes, but disaster struck on the par 5 2nd hole. He decided to lay up rather than going for the green. His lay up shot was effective, but his 3rd shot landed in the water. After dropping 4, his 5th shot was driven over the green. He finished the hole with a triple bogey; his one shot lead became a 3 shot deficit. He played solidly for the rest of the round, but could not catch up to Langer.

Couples earned a 4th win at the Administaff Small Business Classic. On Sunday, he was grouped with Corey Pavin and Mark Wiebe and soared past them and the rest of the field shooting a 9 under 63, with 29 on the back nine. Couples won the Champions Tour Rookie of the Year award in 2010.

Couples was sidelined once again for most of the 2011 season because of his stubborn back problems. But after receiving treatment in Germany, he was able to come back. He won his first major tournament on the senior circuit by defeating John Cook, on the third hole of a sudden death play-off, capturing the Senior Players Championship.

In July 2012, Couples won his second senior major championship when he won The Senior Open Championship at Turnberry. He came from a stroke back to win by two over Gary Hallberg. He made a 25-foot putt for birdie on the last hole to hold off Hallberg, for a round of three under 68 on Sunday. This was his eighth victory in total on the Champions Tour.

In 2016, Couples was forced to forgo the Masters Tournament for the first time since 1994, citing ongoing back problems, which have plagued him throughout his career.

Other ventures

Couples co-designs golf courses with his design partner, Gene D. Bates. This venture, beginning in 1992 has resulted in the formation of Couples Bates Golf Design firm (Now Bates Golf Design Group), and over 20 award winning championship golf courses worldwide.

Couples currently takes the supplement Anatabloc and is a brand ambassador for the anti-inflammatory neutraceutical containing anatabine. He wears the brand logo on his left arm of his golf shirts.

Personal life

Couples' marriage to his first wife Deborah ended in 1992. They had met as students at the University of Houston in 1979. The divorce was finalized in 1993, and she later fell to her death in May 2001, ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles City coroner's office. Couples' estranged second wife, Thais Baker, died from breast cancer on February 17, 2009. They had married in 1998 and the union was childless.

Couples currently resides in Newport Beach, California.

Couples, a self-proclaimed "Sports Junkie," is a member of the Seattle Seahawks 12th Man. He raised the 12th Man flag prior to the Seahawks Monday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints on December 2, 2013.

Awards

• Inducted into the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
• Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in May 2013.

Professional wins (63)

PGA Tour wins (15)

Legend

Major championships (1)

Other PGA Tour (14)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Jun 5, 1983	Kemper Open	71-71-68-77=287	−1	Playoff	Chen Tze-chung, Barry Jaeckel, Gil Morgan, Scott Simpson
2	Apr 1, 1984	Tournament Players Championship	71-64-71-71=277	−11	1 stroke	Lee Trevino
3	May 10, 1987	Byron Nelson Golf Classic	65-67-64-70=266	−14	Playoff	Mark Calcavecchia
4	Feb 25, 1990	Nissan Los Angeles Open	68-67-62-69=266	−18	3 strokes	Gil Morgan
5	Jun 30, 1991	Federal Express St. Jude Classic	68-67-66-68=269	−15	3 strokes	Rick Fehr
6	Sep 22, 1991	B.C. Open	66-67-68-68=269	−15	3 strokes	Peter Jacobsen
7	Mar 1, 1992	Nissan Los Angeles Open	68-67-64-70=269	−15	Playoff	Davis Love III
8	Mar 22, 1992	Nestle Invitational	67-69-63-70=269	−19	9 strokes	Gene Sauers
9	Apr 12, 1992	Masters Tournament	69-67-69-70=275	−13	2 strokes	Raymond Floyd
10	Mar 14, 1993	Honda Classic*	64-73-70=207	−9	Playoff	Robert Gamez
11	Aug 7, 1994	Buick Open	72-65-65-68=270	−18	2 strokes	Corey Pavin
12	Mar 31, 1996	The Players Championship	66-72-68-64=270	−18	4 strokes	Colin Montgomerie, Tommy Tolles
13	Jan 18, 1998	Bob Hope Chrysler Classic	64-70-66-66-66=332	−28	Playoff	Bruce Lietzke
14	May 31, 1998	Memorial Tournament	68-67-67-69=271	−17	4 strokes	Andrew Magee
15	Apr 27, 2003	Shell Houston Open	65-68-67-67=267	−21	4 strokes	Stuart Appleby, Mark Calcavecchia, Hank Kuehne

* Note: The 1993 Honda Classic was shortened to 54 holes due to inclement weather.

PGA Tour playoff record (5-4)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1983	Kemper Open	Chen Tze-chung, Barry Jaeckel, Gil Morgan, Scott Simpson	Won with birdie on second extra hole Jaeckel eliminated with par on first hole
2	1986	Western Open	David Frost, Tom Kite, Nick Price	Kite won with birdie on first extra hole
3	1987	Byron Nelson Golf Classic	Mark Calcavecchia	Won with par on third extra hole
4	1988	Phoenix Open	Sandy Lyle	Lost to bogey on third extra hole
5	1992	Nissan Los Angeles Open	Davis Love III	Won with birdie on second extra hole
6	1992	Honda Classic	Corey Pavin	Lost to birdie on second extra hole
7	1993	Honda Classic	Robert Gamez	Won with par on second extra hole
8	1994	Mercedes Championship	Phil Mickelson	Lost to par on second extra hole
9	1998	Bob Hope Chrysler Classic	Bruce Lietzke	Won with birdie on first extra hole

European Tour wins (3)

Legend

Major championships (1)

Other European Tour (2)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	Apr 12, 1992	Masters Tournament	69-67-69-70=275	−13	2 strokes	Raymond Floyd
2	Jan 22, 1995	Dubai Desert Classic	65-69-68-66=268	−20	3 strokes	Colin Montgomerie
3	Jan 29, 1995	Johnnie Walker Classic	72-67-67-71=277	−11	2 strokes	Nick Price

Other wins (36)

• 1978 Washington Open (as an amateur)
• 1983 JCPenney Mixed Team Classic (with Jan Stephenson)
• 1988 Northwest Open
• 1990 Northwest Open, RMCC Invitational (with Raymond Floyd), Sazale Classic (with Mike Donald)
• 1991 Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship
• 1992 World Cup (team event with Davis Love III)
• 1993 World Cup of Golf (team event with Davis Love III), Alfred Dunhill Cup (with John Daly and Payne Stewart), Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International, Telus Skins Game
• 1994 Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International, World Cup of Golf (x2) (team event with Davis Love III and Individual title), Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (with Brad Faxon), Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (with Paul Azinger and Greg Norman)
• 1995 Johnnie Walker World Golf Championship, Skins Game, World Cup of Golf (team event with Davis Love III), Telus Skins Game
• 1996 Skins Game, Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (with Davis Love III and Payne Stewart), Telus Skins Game
• 1997 Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (with Tom Lehman and Phil Mickelson)
• 1998 Telus Skins Game
• 1999 Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout (with David Duval), Skins Game, Diners Club Matches (with Mark Calcavecchia)
• 2000 Telus Skins Game
• 2001 Hyundai Team Matches (with Mark Calcavecchia)
• 2003 The ConAgra Foods Skins Game, Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort
• 2004 Merrill Lynch Skins Game, Tylenol Par-3 Shootout at Treetops Resort
• 2006 PING Par-3 Shootout

Champions Tour wins (11)

Legend

Senior major championships (2)

Other Champions Tour (9)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Feb 14, 2010	The ACE Group Classic	68-67-64=199	−17	1 stroke	Tommy Armour III
2	Mar 7, 2010	Toshiba Classic	66-64-65=195	−18	4 strokes	Ronnie Black
3	Mar 28, 2010	Cap Cana Championship	67-66-62=195	−21	2 strokes	Corey Pavin
4	Oct 24, 2010	Administaff Small Business Classic	71-65-63=199	−17	7 strokes	Mark Wiebe
5	Aug 20, 2011	Senior Players Championship	68-66-68-71=273	−11	Playoff	John Cook
6	Oct 16, 2011	AT&T Championship	65-62-66=193	−23	7 strokes	Mark Calcavecchia
7	Mar 25, 2012	Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic	63-70-69=202	−14	1 stroke	Michael Allen
8	Jul 29, 2012	The Senior Open Championship	72-68-64-67=271	−9	2 strokes	Gary Hallberg
9	Nov 3, 2013	Charles Schwab Cup Championship	65-65-68-69=267	−17	6 strokes	Bernhard Langer, Mark O'Meara, Peter Senior
10	Mar 16, 2014	Toshiba Classic	65-67-66=198	−15	1 stroke	Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Steve Pate
11	Aug 31, 2014	Shaw Charity Classic	68-66-61=195	−15	Playoff	Billy Andrade

Champions Tour playoff record (2-1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	2010	Senior PGA Championship	David Frost, Tom Lehman	Lehman won with par on first extra hole
2	2011	Senior Players Championship	John Cook	Won with birdie on third extra hole
3	2014	Shaw Charity Classic	Billy Andrade	Won with birdie on first extra hole

Major championships

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1992	Masters Tournament	1 shot deficit	−13 (69-67-69-70=275)	2 strokes	Raymond Floyd

Results timeline

Tournament	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989
Masters Tournament	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T32	10	T10	T31	DNP	T5	T11
U.S. Open	T48 LA	DNP	DNP	CUT	CUT	T9	T39	DNP	T46	T10	T21
The Open Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	T4	DNP	T46	T40	T4	T6
PGA Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	T3	T23	T20	T6	T36	CUT	CUT	CUT

Tournament	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
Masters Tournament	5	T35	1	T21	DNP	T10	T15	T7	T2	T27
U.S. Open	CUT	T3	T17	T16	T16	CUT	DNP	T52	T53	CUT
The Open Championship	T25	T3	CUT	T9	DNP	DNP	T7	T7	T66	DNP
PGA Championship	2	T27	T21	T31	T39	T31	T41	T29	T13	T26

Tournament	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Masters Tournament	T11	26	T36	T28	T6	T39	T3	T30	CUT	CUT
U.S. Open	T16	CUT	DNP	T66	CUT	T15	T48	DNP	DNP	DNP
The Open Championship	6	CUT	DNP	T46	DNP	T3	CUT	DNP	DNP	DNP
PGA Championship	CUT	T37	DNP	T34	DNP	T70	CUT	DNP	CUT	T36

Tournament	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Masters Tournament	6	T15	T12	T13	T20	CUT
U.S. Open	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP
The Open Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	T32	DNP	DNP
PGA Championship	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP	DNP

LA = Low amateur
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

Summary

Tournament	Wins	2nd	3rd	Top-5	Top-10	Top-25	Events	Cuts made
Masters Tournament	1	1	1	5	11	19	31	28
U.S. Open	0	0	1	1	3	9	23	16
The Open Championship	0	0	2	4	9	10	18	15
PGA Championship	0	1	1	2	3	7	25	19
Totals	1	2	5	12	26	45	97	78

• Most consecutive cuts made - 13 (twice)
• Longest streak of top-10s - 3 (twice)

Senior major championships

Wins (2)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
2011	Senior Players Championship	1 shot lead	−11 (68-66-68-71=273)	Playoff 1	John Cook
2012	The Senior Open Championship	1 shot deficit	−9 (72-68-64-67=271)	2 strokes	Gary Hallberg

1 Defeated John Cook in sudden-death playoff with birdie on the third extra hole.

Senior results timeline

Results not in chronological order before 2014.

Tournament	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
The Tradition	DNP	T63	4	2	DQ	DNP
Senior PGA Championship	T2	DNP	T12	DNP	DNP	DNP
Senior Players Championship	WD	1	T4	T2	DNP	DNP
U.S. Senior Open	2	DNP	T12	T14	DNP	DNP
The Senior Open Championship	DNP	DNP	1	T21	T13	T5

DNP = Did not play
DQ = Disqualified
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

U.S. national team appearances

• USA vs. Japan: 1984
• Ryder Cup: 1989 (tie), 1991 (winners), 1993 (winners), 1995, 1997
• Asahi Glass Four Tours World Championship of Golf: 1990, 1991
• Dunhill Cup: 1991, 1992, 1993 (winners), 1994
• World Cup of Golf: 1992 (winners), 1993 (winners), 1994 (winners), 1995 (winners)
• Presidents Cup: 1994 (winners), 1996 (winners), 1998, 2005 (winners), 2009 (captain, winners), 2011 (captain, winners), 2013 (captain, winners)

[ Source: Wikipedia ]