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Couples enjoying a change of scene
Jeju, Korea, 21 April 2009 - Fred Couples is relishing the chance to play in front of a different audience at this week’s Ballantine’s Championship in Korea.
The American superstar has been a professional for almost 30 years but never gets tired of facing new galleries.
“It’s a privilege to be here,” said Couples, who will be one of the top draw cards when the €2.1 million Ballantine’s Championship begins on Thursday at Pinx Golf Club on the holiday island of Jeju.
“It’s my third time to Korea, first time on this island. You know, I’m excited to be here.
“I’ve been travelling since probably the British Open in 1983, and the most fun is playing in front of people that you don’t usually play in front of.
“I don’t know much about Jeju, but we’ll go to a few dinners in a few different places.
“We don’t get to see that much, so the people are what make the trip; the galleries and the sponsors and all of the other people who show us around.”
Couples admits that playing in front of new fans puts the onus on him to perform.
“You come to Korea; you want to play well. There’s probably more pressure, and that’s a good thing, because if you play at home in the United States, they see you all the time.
“So one of the best parts is coming and playing in a different place, which would be whether you are in Japan or Australia or Korea, as is the case this week. It’s a learning experience and a lot of fun.”
The evergreen Couples has two top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year and is happy with his form.
“I’ve played maybe eight tournaments and missed a few cuts, but the times I’ve played, I played pretty well. And I finished third at Houston and third at Los Angeles.”
The star-studded field at the Ballantine’s Championship includes three-time Major winner Ernie Els and world No.9 Henrik Stenson.
Defending champion Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood – an 18-time winner on the European Tour – are also in the line-up.
The tournament is once again co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours and Korea PGA.
Jeju is famous for its breezy conditions, a factor which Couples – the 1992 Masters champion – feels could be to his advantage.
“I’ve been playing in windy weather every week, so this could be a normal fit for me. I hope to have that to fall back to,” he said.
“You know, playing in the wind is good if you’re hitting the ball solid, and if you’re not, it’s extremely hard. I can’t stress that enough.
“When it’s blowing hard, to go around and not miss many shots, it’s tough, and it doesn’t matter if it’s Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
“I think the tougher the conditions may help me a little bit, where the scoring isn’t crazy and guys are shooting 67s and 68s every round.
“If it’s blowing out there, you’ve got to hit the ball solid and get it in the hole. We’ll figure that out by Friday when we see what kind of scores are being shot.”
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Released on behalf of the Ballantine’s Championship by Two Up Front - Asia’s sports PR specialists.