10/03/2024 12:30 PM
Fred Couples has long been one of the most popular players in pro golf.
Known for his smooth swing and prodigious length, “Boom Boom,” born on Oct. 3, 1959, turned 65 in 2024.
Couples has a long and storied career to look back on.
Couples has 15 PGA Tour wins on his resume, including the 1992 Masters. He won the Players Championship twice, in 1984 and 1996. His last PGA Tour win was the 2003 Shell Houston Open in his 622nd start. He later won 14 times in 153 starts on the PGA Tour Champions. His most recent Champions win was in 2022, when he carded 12 birdies and closed with a 60.
Couples holds the mark for the oldest golfer to make the cut at the Masters, which he did in 2023. Ahead of the 2024 tournament, he vowed if he shot 80 or higher, he’d hang up the spikes, but then went out and shot a first-round 80. Afterwards, he had a change of heart and promised to be back in 2025 and maybe in 2026.
And that, no doubt, makes the patrons at Augusta National happy.
In 2001, Couples revealed he was the lone Masters champ to not have donated a club to the Club. He ended up finding the driver – a MacGregor Eye 85 which had a persimmon wood head – that he used that year.
In 2010, he became a style icon when he wore a pair of Ecco Street golf shoes while playing the Masters.
Couples has been a vice captain at the Ryder Cup twice (2020, 2023) and U.S. captain at the Presidents Cup three times (2009, 2011, 2013). The U.S. won all three of those cups.
Take a look at some photos of Fred Couples through the years.
2024 Galleri Classic
Fred Couples at the 2024 Galleri Classic pro-am in Rancho Mirage, California, at Mission Hills Country…
Fred Couples at the 2024 Galleri Classic pro-am in Rancho Mirage, California, at Mission Hills Country Club. (Andy Abeyta/Desert Sun)
2024 Galleri Classic
Fred Couples speaks with members of the media during the pr0-am ahead of the 2024 Galleri…
Fred Couples speaks with members of the media during the pr0-am ahead of the 2024 Galleri Classic in Rancho Mirage, California. (Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun)
2023 Ryder Cup
Patrick Cantlay of Team United States and Fred Couples, Vice Captain of Team United States celebrate…
Patrick Cantlay of Team United States and Fred Couples, Vice Captain of Team United States celebrate on the 17th green during the Sunday singles matches of the 2023 Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club on October 01, 2023 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
2023 Masters
Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Tom Kim and Fred Couples look over the 11th green during a…
Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Tom Kim and Fred Couples look over the 11th green during a practice round prior to the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Fred Couples
Fred Couples, inducted, 2013. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)
World Golf Hall of Fame
Masters and Players champion Fred Couples is overcome with emotion at the close of his presentation…
Masters and Players champion Fred Couples is overcome with emotion at the close of his presentation during his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame Monday evening. The World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Augustine, FL held the 2013 induction ceremony Monday, May 6, 2013. Five new members representing various aspects of the sport were honored in the annual ceremony. (The Florida Times-Union/Bob Self)
2023 Masters Par 3 Contest
Fred Couples walks with his wife, Suzanne, during the Par 3 Contest at The Masters golf…
Fred Couples walks with his wife, Suzanne, during the Par 3 Contest at The Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Network
2022 SAS Championship
Fred Couples laughs on the 18th green after winning the 2022 SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country…
Fred Couples laughs on the 18th green after winning the 2022 SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Carolina. (Photo: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
1996 Players Championship
Fred Couples holds the trophy after the final round of the 1996 Players Championship at TPC…
Fred Couples holds the trophy after the final round of the 1996 Players Championship at TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
1992 Masters
Fred Couples gets putting on the green jacket from 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam on April…
Fred Couples gets putting on the green jacket from 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam on April 12, 1992, at the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo: Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
1993 Masters
Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer
Fred Couples, Bernhard Langer
1993 Masters Tournament
PGA TOUR Archive via Getty Images
2022 Presidents Cup
Assistant Captain Fred Couples of the United States Team looks on prior to the 2022 Presidents…
Assistant Captain Fred Couples of the United States Team looks on prior to the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Country Club on September 19, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
2006 Masters
Fred Couples congratulates Phil Mickelson on the 18th green after Mickelson holed out to win the…
Fred Couples congratulates Phil Mickelson on the 18th green after Mickelson holed out to win the 2006 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club after the final round on April 9, 2006 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
2011 Masters
Fred Couples talks with his caddie Joe LaCava on the first hole during the first round…
Fred Couples talks with his caddie Joe LaCava on the first hole during the first round of the 2011 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 7, 2011 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
2021 Chubb Classic
Fred Couples prepares to putt his ball on the 18th green during the first day of…
Fred Couples prepares to putt his ball on the 18th green during the first day of the 2021 Chubb Classic, Friday, April 16, 2021, at the Tiburon Golf Club in North Naples.
1996 Masters
Fred Couples, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National…
Fred Couples, Tiger Woods and Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Country Club. Photo by Stephen Munday/Allsport
2017 Presidents Cup
Fred Couples, Captains Assistant of the U.S. Team, throws shoes to fans in the stands on…
Fred Couples, Captains Assistant of the U.S. Team, throws shoes to fans in the stands on the first tee during the Sunday singles matches at the Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club on October 1, 2017, in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Chris Condon/PGA Tour)
1992 Masters
Fred Couples is presented with his green jacket by the previous year's winner, Welsh golfer Ian…
Fred Couples is presented with his green jacket by the previous year's winner, Welsh golfer Ian Woosnam at the green jacket presentation ceremony after finishing in first place by two strokes to win the 1992 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on 12th April 1992. (Photo by Chris Smith/Popperfoto/Getty Images)
World Golf Hall of Fame
Fred Couples speaks during his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame on Monday.
2009 Presidents Cup
United States team captain Fred Couples and former President George H.W. Bush share a moment during…
United States team captain Fred Couples and former President George H.W. Bush share a moment during the opening ceremony for the 2009 Presidents Cup at Harding Park Golf Club in San Francisco, California.
Charles Schwab Championship
Fred Couples during Round 2 of the Charles Schwab Championship.
1997 British Open
Fred Couples on the first tee at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland during the…
Fred Couples on the first tee at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland during the third round of the 1997 British Open.
U.S. Senior Open
Fred Couples tips his cap at the U.S. Senior Open.
Presidents Cup
Fred Couples poses with the Presidents Cup.