Fred Couples Quotations

Golf is supposed to be fun, but I don't think anything is fun if you're not doing it reasonably well.

I caddied for a guy who was a very good player, and he gave me a set of clubs, just a starter set: 5-iron, 7-iron, 9-iron, putter and driver. I just loved it. How I developed my swing was to just grab a club and start banging balls.

I will say I love competing, and I was in a great era of playing with young Phil Mickelson and older Greg Norman and Nick Price. I don't know if YA Title could throw the ball these days, but you can play golf for a long, long time.

I'm not very good in the rain. I don't wear a golf glove.

I think people like players they can relate to. It seems as if people think they know me. I just think I'm an ordinary Joe who plays golf very, very well.

Golf is a game to me. Other players work extremely hard all year long. I work hard before Augusta. I know I get good results when I practice, but it also wears me out. It literally wore me out even when I was in my 20s.

I can say I won a Senior British Open at Turnberry. I think that's the best thing about it, the whole week, was playing this course. It's a challenging, very tough course, under extreme weather. But you know, it's nice to win any event.

I'm a lot older than I was when I was 30, which is kind of hard to believe.

I'm pretty much a self-taught player. My swing hasn't changed a whole lot, I don't think. But I watch a lot of people.

I could go away five or six weeks in a row and never touch a club. I would just look at them and say, 'I just don't want to; it's not that important.' And it wasn't that important. Golf - I don't want to answer loosely - I pay a lot of attention to it, but I don't ever really think about it.

My goal has always been to play golf, and play it well. In the end, that's what I am, a golfer. If my back lets me, I'm going to play my favorite places. If I hurt myself, that'll probably be it for a while.

I used to break a lot of clubs. I probably was a little different than your average junior player. I did have a lot longer hair and a lot more brown hair. But my demeanor, you know, really from maybe my second, third year on Tour, has gotten a lot more even keel.

My mom was so people-friendly. She was incredible. She'd go to the mall, and she'd talk to everyone. Give people a kiss on the cheek. I think if I wasn't pushed around a lot, I'd be great with people. Maybe I still can be.

I left home at 17, traveled. I got married when I was 21. That's a young age. As it turned out, things were fine, then not so fine, and then it was a blunder. That happens all the time.

We were trying to push each other on.

We've talked about playing with Tiger, which would be an ideal thing for me,

My days aren't numbered, but they're close to it. But this is a course I'm very accustomed to. I've played this course for 25 years. If I can play really well, I think I can catch Rory. If he plays well, we're all done.

I got the biggest break of my life. I don't know what would have happened if the ball went in the water.

I didn't want Vijay last night, ... I enjoy playing with him, so I chose to play with him if I could get it done. It was a great match, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. You know, is he going to beat me 8 of 10 times? I think so. But in a one-day time, I have just as good a shot as anyone.

I did play with Tiger in Australia and it was truly, truly a treat. I think I'm looking forward to that.

I did play with Tiger in Australia and it was truly, truly a treat,

I did play a practice round with (Nicklaus) at the British Open and I played really, really well that day, which is useful to that point.

I didn't change my stroke, but I just hit the birdie putt way too hard.

I bogey that hole, birdie the par 5 and shot 5 under. I love the course, and I figured no matter how bad I felt, I could get around and have a decent score.

I have just as good a chance as anybody. I feel pretty confident that I can go out and play well.

I felt like at least from tee to green, I was close if not maybe a little better today than these guys. But to win this thing, you've got to putt well. I wasn't horrible, but I was just mediocre. I just couldn't get one to go in the hole to get any momentum. That was disappointing. Otherwise, I liked the way I played.

I feel great. I haven't played 31 holes in a long time, but I'll go home and rest and start again like it's a new day.

I did get some of his strays. The way I play sometimes, I probably don't deserve two or three people out there.

I did get a few of his strays to come follow me. They were all out there in the rain waiting for him. I'm sure the air lifted out of that balloon quickly.

I did get a couple of his strays to follow me. They were screaming and yelling. I like the place, and the crowd has more to do with it than Ben Hogan winning here.

I can't speak for Ben. What he has done is miraculous. For him to - he doesn't hit the ball a long way - I'm sure he's going into these greens with long irons. I was driving it (Friday) to where I had 9-irons and wedges to a lot of holes.

I can't imagine the course playing any easier.

If I was in the Summer Olympics, I'd feel pretty good right now.

Getting nothing is not the end of the world. I've gotten my share. So I'm tickled pink just to be here.

Fred won quite a bit of money on par-fives which he probably says is not his forte, but he was phenomenal and he deserved to win,

Fourteen made the difference for me. But really, the way Phil played, it wouldn't have made any difference.

If it stays windy, 2 or 3 under might not win.

If Tiger Woods hits four really good drives, or Vijay (Singh) or Davis (Love III) or Ernie Els, I don't know a course they don't have an advantage on. So you have to keep it in play.

Today it would be Phil because he just won on one of the hardest courses you can play. But Tiger's the one to beat every week. They're going to win this thing several more times, those two.

When I play well, I putt pretty well. A few of them were pretty easy putts. You can not miss putts and try to win tournaments.

His swing is getting tighter, getting better, and he's getting back to a point that he's dominant, which he's been this year.

His swing his getting tighter, getting better, and he's getting back to a point that he's dominant, which he's been this year.

There aren't that many young guys that can get into this tournament, and when they do they are great players already. It's not like there's qualifying for this. You can go qualify for the U.S. Open at 22 years old, make it and play well and everyone is ranting and raving about it.

When he comes to these tournaments, it really does wear him down. You walk around and have your name yelled at for four to five hours a day, every day, it wears you down. Literally, screaming your name all day, you just get worn out.

Unless we get rain to soften it up, if it's windy then 2 or 3 under might not win.

I think I quieted down our talk there for about 10 minutes. I don't think he wanted to get near me.

I think it sets up for my game. When I come here I feel very good on the course.

I was driving it where I had 9-irons and wedges to a lot of holes. I think we all know what they've done to the course by lengthening it, and I think it helps me.

I thought the ball was going in the hole; someone said that was an early call. My thought was, 'Well, I think it's the only putt I made all week so I knew it was going in when it was four feet from the hole.' It looked good. It would have been embarrassing if it had lipped out.

I think it's set up for my game. It's set up for a lot of guys, but when I come here, I feel very good on the course. I feel like I'm a very good lag putter, and you have to do that here. My eye catches the slopes pretty well.

I watched a great player win his second Masters. He hit the ball solid, where he was looking and it was an easy, easy 69.

I watched a great player win his second Masters, and I felt like at least from tee to green, I was close, if not maybe a little better (Sunday). But you cannot miss putts and try and win tournaments, whether it's the Atlanta Classic or the Masters.

I watched a great player win his second Masters.

I want to use these words correctly ... that the PGA Tour has kind of devoured some of the other tours, ... I always have gone down to Australia, and there's just no time to go. As Tiger said, it would totally help that.

I was just finishing on the 18th hole and he birdied No. 9 and 10. The roars, it was the most unbelievable thing I've ever heard.

Last week, what he did was incredible. Then coming in here to shoot the scores that he did, extremely consistent on a very tough course. He's a much better player than he was when he first started winning these majors.

I saw a doctor and got some stuff, and today I didn't really hit many balls on the range. I kind of just screwed around. I love the course, and I figured no matter how bad I felt I could get around and have a decent score.

Other than those few holes, I had a lot of birdie chances. To be five under, blow four strokes, then get five strokes back is a pretty good way to end the day.

My putting was horrible but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. I might have finished second to Phil, that's all.

I was very mediocre. I put Tiger in some rough spots. My problems come out in alternate shot when you're playing with the best player in the world. I was outclassed by three guys.

I was very mediocre. I put Tiger in some rough spots. Even if I had played well, I just don't think we could beat them today.

I thought if I could play with him and handle him, several guys would be excited about that. And then the putt on the 18th was thrilling. Career-wise, it doesn't mean anything. Team-wise, it was awesome.

The 14th was just really a killer. But at the same time, it just leads up to that. There's several other putts that I just couldn't get to go, but it was a lot of fun and great pairing with Phil. I watched a great player win his second Masters, and I felt at least from tee to green I was close, or if not, maybe a little better today.

The 14th hole was the real killer. But there were a lot of putts out there that I could have made and should have made that would have put more pressure on Phil, especially on the front nine.

The 14th hole was really a killer, but there were several other putts -- I just couldn't get one to go. I think if Phil was putting for me, I would have won with 9- or 10-under.

The 14th hole was just really a killer. I couldn't get one to go in the hole and get any momentum.

The 14th hole was just really a killer.

I was outclassed by three guys, and I couldn't help Tiger at all.

I was outclassed by the way they played vs. the way I played,

I was mediocre and I put Tiger in some tough spots. Certainly I enjoyed playing with Tiger and Retief and Adam but I just didn't play well. Your shortcomings show in the alternate shot format and playing with the best player in the world it showed today. I couldn't help Tiger at all.

You just can't miss putts and win tournaments, whether it's the Atlanta Classic or the Masters.

When you see her hit a golf ball, nothing prepares you for it. It's just the scariest thing you have ever seen.

Tomorrow is a day where I'm not going to be disappointed if I don't play well. I expect to do well but I don't play great golf a lot and that's being in positions like this.

Yeah. Do you have some? Oh, I get it. There's a Home Depot down the street, right?

Tough day, long day. Teed off at 7 p.m. (6:45, actually). I don't think I've ever done that before.

We thought it was the greatest thing ever. He was not going to hit in this rain. I bet we waited seven or eight minutes, and he just stood there. Then they blew the siren, he marked his ball and we went inside. They washed out the round and the next day we re-paired in threes. I either didn't get him, or I had someone else with us so I wasn't as nervous about getting in his way.

We got in the first fairway -- he'd driven it down the middle, I was in the right side in the rough, just past him -- and it started to rain, then it started to pour,

We were telling each other, 'Let's make some birdies.

But No. 4, I just felt like under the wrong circumstances, it's just going to be awfully hard. But everyone's got to do it. Stronger players can maybe hit a 3-iron up high and stop it. But with the utility clubs, those go just as high and soft. There will be a bit of club changing.

To hole that putt in front of everyone...I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, ... This is certainly exciting for me.

Everyone thinks they can play with everybody and they all get along great, but when you're on the course, you have to know the guy pretty well because you're not going to win every single time you play, and you have to be able to say the right things and have some fun with it.

First off, I didn't want Vijay, ... I chose to play with him because I enjoy him and the way he hits the ball. It was a great match all the way. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a great moment. Is he going to beat me eight of 10 times? I think so, but in a one-day try, I've got as good a shot.

There's no doubt he's changed. He's got more talent than maybe anyone out here in his hands and in his game.

I should have just walked in. There is no way I felt like I was going to be able (to play). But I got it around and ended up making some putts and hitting a few good shots (for a 66). It was the biggest fluke of the year.

It would have been nice to have made that. It would have made up for a lot of things.

The way it looks, a winning score of two or three-under is not out of the question.

It was the only putt I made all week and I knew it was going in four feet from the hole. It was thrilling, it was energetic and if I can use a fuzzy word, it was karma.

Right now, today, I would say it would be Phil.

Really in all my years on Tour, in the U.S. Open I probably played great golf in two of them, out of maybe 20, so it's a lot of work.

Age is a factor. I just feel like I can save a shot or two on the course if everything is going OK and you're into the round. It seems like I've had really good finishes here and my length has been a key to that. But I still have to go out and hit the ball. It doesn't help me if I'm playing it from the shrubs.

Annika surprised us all. That was icing on the cake.

You're on the International side, and you're helping me out?

Your shortcomings show in the alternate shot format and playing with the best player in the world it showed today. I couldn't help Tiger at all.

Your shortcomings show in the alternate shot (format) and playing with the best player in the world it showed today. I couldn't help Tiger at all.

This course is set up for my game. I feel very good on this course. I'm a very good lag putter and you have to do that here. My eye catches the slopes pretty well. That just comes from doing it for (so many) years. ... Around the greens, even though I'm not an incredibly good putter, I feel pretty safe.

There were four great players starting out, ... Three of them played well, and I was mediocre. Some of the shortcomings with me came out in alternate shot, especially when you're playing with the best player in the world and trying your darnedest to do well.

There were putts I could have made to separate myself from and get ahead of Phil. And any time you're ahead, it's a heck of a lot easier, but I never did that.

This is the kind of putt an old guy can make.

It's just grueling for me, and it's not really an excuse. It's just my body tells me like right now I'm done. I could probably have played 10 more holes, but once I stop, my body just shuts down and it really starts to hurt and twist. Everything is just ready to feel like it's going to explode.

It was a lot of fun. I watched a great player win his second Masters and from tee to green I thought I played well. He hit the ball really, really well. He hit the ball where he was looking. It was an easy 69.