Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Fred Couples to play in Allianz Championship
The Allianz Championship announced Friday that Fred Couples, one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour Champions, will play in the senior event for the first time.
The tournament is Feb. 10-12 at the Old Course at Broken Sound in Boca Raton and features a field that includes two-time major champions John Daly and Jose Maria Olazabal, who are both making their Allianz debuts, and Bernhard Langer of Boca Raton.
A World Golf Hall of Famer, Couples, 57, has won 11 times on the senior tour and had 15 PGA Tour victories, including the 1992 Masters. He finished second to Langer at last week’s Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii.
According to Rebecca Selig, who handles public relations for the tournament, Couples hinted he was going play in the Allianz last week when he used a Seinfeld reference of “I’ll see you in Boca Vista” during a Golf Channel telecast. Del Boca Vista was the fictional South Florida condo community where Jerry Seinfeld’s parents lived on the “Seinfeld” TV show.
Also playing the Allianz for the first time are longtime European Tour star Miguel Angel Jimenez, former PGA Championship winner David Toms and Jerry Kelly. The top 36 players in last year's Charles Schwab Cup standings are scheduled to play.
“This is the best field we’ve ever had,” Allianz Championship tournament director Ryan Dillon said. “With Couples joining this impressive field, we are anticipating an increase in ticket sales, which will benefit the Boca Raton Regional Hospital, and an increase in national exposure, which will benefit the City of Boca Raton.”
In addition to three days of championship play, the tournament features a Women’s Day with a clinic and Pro-Am with LPGA Tour player Lexi Thompson and two days of Pro-Am play pairing participants with Champions pros.
For information, ticket packages or corporate sponsorships, call 561-241-4653 or visit allianzchampionship.com.