Fred Couples
Lots of mail already on one of the most popular players ever to play the game, most popular certainly with our readers. Here are a couple different takes on Jaime Diaz's piece on Couples in March:
From Art Markey of Stuart, Fl.:
Late on a Sunday afternoon in 1991 shortly after the closing ceremonies of that year's Ryder Cup played at Kiawah, my wife and I and two friends from England were walking to the beach for one last swim in the ocean when we came upon a small gathering of perhaps a dozen fans who were waiting around outside the building where the players were all staying. Just as we got there, a courtesy car pulled up and three U. S. players got out. They ignored the fans who politely asked for autographs and hustled inside without saying a word or signing a single autograph. A few seconds later another courtesy car pulled up and Fred Couples, Chip Beck and Mark O'Meara got out. Each of them graciously signed autographs for several minutes. One woman who nearly fainted at the sight of Couples somehow got up the courage to ask him if he would mind if her husband took her picture with him. He cheerily obliged, putting his arm around her waist and asking her name. That woman is my wife and she treasures that memory and that picture to this day. We're both BIG Fred Couples fans.
And Lee Merrick of Newport Beach:
After reading the article about Fred Couples, I was left with an impression that I would never have imagined about him. No family, no home, a waning career, friends held at arms length...very sad.
In other words, it's not so easy being Fred. Though he's made it easy for us to love the pro game.
--Bob Carney
(Photo by Dom Furore)
02.12.08
I would like to chime in on Fred Couples I have been a fan for longer than I care to mention and finaly got a couple of chances to see him live, in georgia, suger loaf, atlanta athletic club, and the masters and boston mass at the duetche bank and I have to say each time this man has been more than pleasent and signed autographs for me twice and my sister after good and bad rounds and I also had the privilege to chat with Joe his caddy who was more than friendly and asked if I got Fred autograph even after I bent his ear about being an older black man thilled about meeting Fred and getting his autograph to which Joe said that's ok you should see him (Fred) around Michel Jordan. In this era of spoiled super stars I found Fred to be a breath of fresh air plus every time I saw him after my first encounter he seem to remember me and at one tour stop, suger loaf he acknowledge me in the crowd. If some of the story about him being moody are true, well to them I say he is human no different from anyone or me not overly friendly in the office for one reason or another, just one of those days, we need to remember that yes they are role models but that does not give us the right to demand an audience just because we pay our way in the tour stop does not mean these guys owe us anything but the pleasure of watching these guys to show us how they apply their talent. We want our heros to be real well that means taking the good with the bad we cannot have it both ways..
thank you
peter minot
Easily one of the most popular golf figures of our time. Freddy makes it all look so easy. He's an asset to our sport and a good guy too.
--Jim Cardosi