San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Couples, at age 59, lurks not far behind
Safeway Open notes: At age 59, Fred Couples is lurking not far behind the leaders.
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Nine years ago, Hunter Mahan played on the victorious U.S. Presidents Cup team at Harding Park. His captain was
Fred Couples, the 1992 Masters champion.
Now they’re back in Northern California, playing in the same group of a PGA Tour event and positioned to finish in the top 10.
Couples is 59 now, but he’s resurrecting visions of his younger self in the Safeway Open. He shot 70 on Saturday to climb into a tie for 15th, zipping past many players less than half his age.
Mahan, 36, also shot 70 and also stands 8-under-par for the week. He was suitably impressed with his onetime captain.
“Fred brings a swagger and confidence, and it’s hard not to get engulfed by it,” Mahan said. “It’s always fun to be around him. He brings life to golf.”
Couples sparked a loud roar from the gallery when he holed his bunker shot on No. 9 (a par-5) for eagle. That momentarily lifted him into a tie for fourth, but he struggled with the wind on the back nine.
Given his strong performance this week, Couples was asked about possibly returning to Silverado next year.
“Oh, for sure. Yes,” Couples said. “I would never come here if I was a 75 shooter and taking a spot away from anyone. But I’m playing well this week, and if I come back next year I’ll play the weeks before so I’m ready. I won’t be a sacrificial lamb.”
One reason he might return: He likes Silverado Resort’s North Course, which doesn’t favor only long hitters.
“I think this is a good course for everybody, whether you’re 29, 39 or 109,” Couples said.
Cauley’s comeback: Bud
Cauley, making his first start since being injured in a car accident June 1, shot 69 and joined Couples and Mahan in the group at 8-under.
Cauley suffered a broken leg, broken ribs and collapsed lung when the car in which he was a passenger went airborne and struck a large tree in Dublin, Ohio. He had missed the cut earlier that day in the Memorial Tournament.
Cauley, 28, spent the summer wondering about his future.
“There was a lot of laying up at night, wondering how my body was going to heal,” he said. “About the middle of last month, I kind of took a deep breath and said, ‘OK, we’re going to be all right.’ That’s when I was able to play a full day without any pain.
“Things can be going along great, and then in one moment your whole life can change. I’m really fortunate mine didn’t change in an even worse way.”
Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.