12 Things You Didn't Know About Fred Couples

12 Things You Didn't Know About Fred Couples

With his silky swing and 1992 Masters win, American Fred Couples will be in the field for the tournament taking place at Augusta National. No doubt one of the most popular players around, we take a look at 12 facts about him you may or may not already know.

12 Things You Didn't Know About Fred Couples

1. Couples was born in Seattle, Washington after his paternal grandparents emigrated from Italy. They changed their family name from Coppola to Couples.

2. Couples attended the University of Houston and played on the golf team there.

3. His nickname is 'Boom Boom' thanks to his length off the tee.

4. His sole Major Championship win came at the 1992 Masters. He has also finished in the top-3 in the other three Majors.

5. He was inducted into the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 and World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.

6. He has spent a grand total of 16 weeks as the world's number one male golfer and he was the first American to do so after the rankings were introduced.

7. He is one of the rare players not to use a glove.

8. After knocking his first tee shot into the water at the famous island green 17th at TPC Sawgrass, Couples re-teed it up and managed to slam dunk it into the hole for par. It still is one of the most memorable moments in Players Championship history.

9. Couples for several seasons used a women's driver as his 3-wood. It had once belonged to Tom Watson's wife and he refitted the shaft to fit his game.

10. One of his roommates at college was broadcaster Jim Nantz. At college Nantz used to pretend he was commentating on The Masters and would pretend to interview Couples after his imaginary victory. Indeed they would do the real thing in 1992.

11. He is an avid gardener after learning from his grandfather who worked at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle.

12. From 1992 to 1995, he teamed up with Davis Love III to win four straight World Cup of Golf tournaments. Interestingly he also had Joe LaCava on his bag for a long time, who now carries the bag for Tiger Woods.