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Made-in-America Masters: Couples wins green jacket
Reluctant superstar's first major title ends string of four straight wins by foreigners
By David Westin
Staff Writer
Augusta, Ga., Monday, April 13, 1992 -- Old Glory is waving proudly over the Augusta National clubhouse today. An American is wearing the green coat for the first time in five years.
Fred Couples, the reluctant superstar, on Sunday broke a European stranglehold on the Masters Tournament, claiming his third victory of the season, ninth of his career and the first major championship in his 12-year PGA Tour career.
The 32-year-old Couples, who was 4-under par for the 22 holes he played Sunday, won by two shots over 49-year-old Ray Floyd. It was the first time in seven years that the Masters Tournament was not decided by a single stroke.
Couples solidified his ranking as the No. 1 player in the Sony Rankings and went over the $5 million mark in career PGA Tour money earnings. With the $270,000 first-place money, Couples has now won $1,008,162 this year - the earliest that's ever been achieved.
Couples, two shots back through 50 holes when play was halted by darkness Saturday, played his final four holes in 2-under fashion Sunday morning to complete a third round 3-under-par 69. That moved him within one shot of the lead, held by Australian Craig Parry, heading into the closing, 18-hole test.
In the afternoon, Couples responded with a 2-under-par 70 for the victory over Floyd, the 1976 Masters champion who has now been runner-up two of the last three years. Floyd shot a closing 71.
Couples had opened with rounds of 69-67-69. His winning total of 13-under-par 275 was the lowest total since 1980, when Seve Ballesteros also finished at that figure.
Corey Pavin (67 Sunday) finished third, three back. Five shots back were Mark O'Meara (70) and Jeff Sluman (71).
The top five finishers were Americans for the first time since 1984. Greg Norman (68 Sunday) and Ian Baker-Finch (74), both of Australia, were the top foreign finishers. They tied for sixth at 281.
Defending champion Ian Woosnam, the co-leader after 36 holes, closed with a 75 and tied for 19th place with long-hitting Masters rookie John Daly. Daly reached Woosnam on the strength of a final round 68.
Couples, Floyd, Pavin and O'Meara were members of the United States' winning Ryder Cup team in September.
``I know all of us have played well since the Ryder Cup,'' Pavin said. ``The leaderboard today was (American) Ryder Cup, Ryder Cup, Ryder Cup.''
Pavin downplayed the European vs. United States rivalry, as did Couples.
``Being an American, it's nice to win, but I'm not saying I did it for the United States of America,'' Couples said. ``I did it for myself and some people that were here with me. That's all that's important to me. If I didn't win and Ian Woosnam did, I'd think that's great.''
``I've always felt the European vs. American stuff is, to coin a phrase, a bunch of rubbish,'' Pavin said.
Couples, the pre-tournament favorite, never lost touch with the lead. He was four shots off the pace after one round and one shot back after both the second and the third rounds. For the tournament, he had 46 pars, 20 birdies, five bogeys and one double bogey.
After a bogey on No. 2 Sunday, Couples birdied No. 3, bogeyed No. 5 and birdied No. 8 (a 25-foot birdie putt) and No. 9 (a 20-footer) to shoot 1-under-par 35 on the front. The birdie on No. 9 moved Couples into the lead for the first time in the tournament. He would not relinquish it.
Couples matched the 35 on the back nine with a birdie on No. 14 and eight pars. He never led by less than two shots after No. 10, a hole he parred while Floyd and Parry (who closed with a 78 and finished tied for 13th) suffered bogeys.
What Couples called ``the biggest break probably of my life'' sent him on his way to victory. On the devilish, par-3, No. 12 hole, Couples' tee shot hit the steep bank, but did not roll back into Rae's Creek, as most balls do when they land in that area.
``I blocked the shot out there and it was just an unbelievable thing that it stayed up,'' Couples said. ``I don't know how it stayed up. I wasn't so sure it didn't roll into an old ball mark. It was a perfect lie. It wasn't a very hard shot. I chipped it up there a foot and made par.
``You don't ever get a break like that,'' Couples said.
Couples said ``I'm not so sure what would have happened if it would have went in the water like everybody else's.''
``Things like that have to happen for you to win a golf tournament,'' Floyd said. ``You need to get a break at a good time.''
In the last 10 months, Couples has produced 20 finishes of sixth or better in 25 worldwide starts. In that period, he has collected $2,666,725 in worldwide earnings.
``I felt like the kind of player he has been that he was going to win the golf tournament,'' Floyd said.
``I always hope he doesn't play in a tournament,'' joked Pavin, who beat Couples this year in a sudden-death playoff for the Honda Classic title. ``If he doesn't play, that gives us another spot in the top 10.
``He's always been a wonderful talent,'' Pavin said of Couples. ``He just understands how good he is now. I've known how good he is ever since we played in college. He's starting to get good now. He understands what it takes to win. Everyone has to learn that. I had to learn it. You look at guys like Tom Watson. He went through a lot of growing pains. But once you learn, you learn.''
The loss ``is at my expense, but I'm very happy for Freddy,'' said Floyd, who has been something of a mentor to Couples for the past three years.
``A couple of years ago, Freddy didn't manage his golf game very well and he made mental errors on the golf course,'' Floyd said. ``When I played with him on Greg Norman's Ronald McDonald Invitational team tournament in 1990, I didn't let him do it. I made him play a certain way and to hit certain shots.''
Floyd said, ``Fred has a game that has won this tournament as many times as a Nicklaus (six) or a Palmer (four).''
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