When putting together our biography of our
newest Hall of Fame member, Fred Couples, we couldn't resist compiling a list of some of our favourite quotes from the man with the beautiful swing and a way of twisting up sentences like none other ... From the bizarre to the blatantly obvious, there's a good chance of getting a great quote when Freddie Couples is around:
On his putting woes:I hit the ball and when I make a few of them, I get a little bit of rhythm and I can make a few. Then when I start missing them, they don't go in. ...
On Michelle Wie:When you see her hit a golf ball ... there's nothing that prepares you for it. It's just the scariest thing you've ever seen.
On being paired with Phil Mickelson in the 2006 Masters:I mean, if a guy hits a good shot, I'm gonna say so, even if I hate him. And I like Phil.
On his reputation and the key to success:The press still considers me one of the most laid-back athletes since Babe Ruth. That's supposed to be a criticism, but I consider it a compliment because I think being carefree on the course is one of the secrets to scoring well consistently.
On practice habits:There is no truth in the idea that the person who hits the most balls will become the best golfer. Golf is a bizarre sport. You can work for years on your game, without making any improvement in your score.
On future retirement:My days aren't numbered, but they're close to it.
On privacy:I don't answer the phone. I get the feeling whenever I do that there will be someone on the other end.
On Tiger Woods' galleries:I did get some of his strays. The way I play sometimes, I probably don't deserve two or three people out there.
On his heroic defeat in the '06 Masters:I didn't hit the ball like I was 46. But I putted like I was 66.
On his heroic defeat in the '06 Masters (Part II):I'm a lot older than I was when I was 30, which is kind of hard to believe.
On his good friend Davis Love III:We can laugh at each other, ... In the World Cup I remember him whiffing a shot in a palmetto bush, and caddie Joe [LaCava] and I were just laughing, and I would never do that to anyone else. I wasn't laughing because he whiffed it. It was just funny.
On a putt that he missed in the Masters:This is the kind of putt an old guy can make.
On longevity:I'm playing as well as I've ever played, except for the years I played better.
On injuries:I wouldn't be playing great golf every week if my back didn't hurt. I wouldn't be able to play golf if my back really, really hurt, and I don't. So therefore, I try to play.
On partnering Annika Sorenstam in the Merrill Lynch Shootout:Greg [Norman] called, he just said, "Would you like to play with her," and I said, "You bet." (press snickers)
On his swing:When I'm playing well, I don't even take aim.
On his condition:I play better when I'm sick, but my head is the thing that's pounding, and it's very blurry.
On career reflection:Could I have maybe won more tournaments? Sure ... but if that was the case then I would have won them.
On putting woes (Part II):It would nice to have a longer, smoother putting stroke, but the clean and jerk is what I've got. If it was the Summer Olympics I would feel pretty good right now.
