The Loop

A featured pairing gone awry

April 03, 2010

HUMBLE, Texas -- The luck of the pairings draw had the two hottest golfers on the planet, Ernie Els and Fred Couples, playing together Saturday at the Shell Houston Open. Each began the day at even par, needing to go low to get back in the tournament, but instead, both went high.

Els had double bogeys at the 18th (they started on the back nine) and fourth en route to a three-over-par 75. Couples, who has averaged 6.17 birdies per round on the Champions Tour this year, failed to make a single birdie and finished with six bogeys for 78.

-- E. Michael Johnson