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Couples gets second Champions Tour win

Sun 7th, March 2010

Newport Beach, CA (Sports Network) - Fred Couples captured his second Champions Tour win Sunday at the Toshiba Classic, just three weeks after breaking through for his first.

Three starts, two wins. It's been an explosive debut on the over-50 tour for the man they call "Boom Boom."

Couples closed with a six-under 65 to beat Ronnie Black by four shots, adding to his win Feb. 14 at the ACE Group Classic, the last time he played on the Champions Tour.

"You know, it looks easier than it really is," said Couples, who collected $255,000 for his latest win.

His back-to-back victories come on the heels of a runner-up finish in his Champions Tour debut at Hualalai on Jan. 24.

And last week, the busy 50-year-old former Masters champion returned to the PGA Tour and tied for 14th at the Phoenix Open. In all, Couples has won $805,240 in five combined starts on both tours this season.

He will continue to split time on both tours, even though he hasn't won on the PGA in seven years.

"Out here I feel like I make less mistakes so far," Couples said of the Champions Tour. "It's been three tournaments, but that's really what I see."

Black also shot a 65 on Sunday to finish alone in a distant second place at 14-under 199. Entering the final round, Black he didn't hold much hope of winning -- not with the way Couples has been hitting the ball.

"I played with Freddie yesterday. Freddie can play lousy and shoot 67. So I felt like I had to shoot a 63," Black said.

Tom Lehman (69) and Taiwan's Chien Soon Lu (69) shared third place at 12-under 201, while Tom Watson fired a nine-under 62 to tie Loren Roberts (68) at 202.

Watson was only three shots behind when he finished off his 62. But he played 10 groups in front of Couples, and the leader didn't do anything down the stretch to bring anybody any closer.

Couples, after making just one birdie in his first 10 holes Sunday, played his last eight at five-under par. Along with four birdies and a bogey, Couples collected an eagle ay the par-five 15th, knocking a six-iron to 15 feet.

At the 18th hole, while Couples was under "as little pressure as I've ever been under," he hit the grandstand with his approach, calling it maybe the worst shot he's ever hit. He still made a closing birdie, chipping to 20 feet and rolling in the putt.

"A grand finish," he said.

NOTES: Couples has won 15 times on the PGA Tour since 1983, but his last victory there came at the '03 Houston Open. He has posted nine consecutive rounds in the 60s to start his Champions Tour career and is 56-under par in three tournaments.