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MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CHAMPIONSHIP AT HUALALAI

January 24, 2010

Fred Couples

KA'UPULEHU-KONA, HAWAII

Q. 21-under and you don't win, it was just one of those shootouts you don't see very often.
FRED COUPLES: Well, no. I mean, you know, I knew every time I was doing something he was going to do something. And he had a two-shot lead starting the day. And I eagled 10 and it didn't faze me, it went right away, and birdied -- I don't know if he birdied 11 or not. There was so many birdies. 11 and then 12. Right on top of me.
So, you know, I did everything I could. And like I just told him, 21-under and you don't win, that's pretty tough.

Q. Tied as the second lowest score ever shot on this tour that didn't.
FRED COUPLES: Yeah, well, you know, it's a -- no win on this course. But, still, there were a lot of good players 10, 11, 12 under. And, to me, if I would have been there, I would have had probably a great week. It's just the last 20 minutes, you know, went the way a champion does it. And Tom's won a lot of events.
But really the shot he hit on 17 was spectacular. Hit a 6-iron. And, you know, for my first time playing, it looked like it was hovering over the lava and I bailed out to the right figuring if I make par, he's going to have to birdie to tie one of the next two holes. And he birdied them both.

Q. Does it feel good to have your heart pumping in a situation like that again?
FRED COUPLES: Well, sure, I mean, but I made a lot of putts, so I could tell you I wasn't extremely nervous because I made them on 9, I made them on 8, on 10. Made a nice par on 11. But I was going through it.
But the other thing is going against him, it was a lot of fun too. I mean, he's one of my all-time favorites. And me beating him would have been a lot better than him beating me, but that's not the way it went.

Q. You had the eagle on 10 pretty outright. Is it still at that point you figure he's going to make a run, he's --
FRED COUPLES: Well, yesterday he shot 6-under the back nine, and what did he shoot today?

Q. Pretty close.
FRED COUPLES: I think he was 5-under again. I mean, it was a little ridiculous, 5-under.

Q. No, he shot 30.
FRED COUPLES: 30. So he shot 60 the back nine. So and 60 shots last day in the back, 30, 30.

Q. 30, 30.
FRED COUPLES: Boy.

Q. That's pretty good.
FRED COUPLES: Yeah. So we were just trying to figure it out, and I'm thinking no, he was 12-under.
So, yeah, honestly, the eagle on 10 was great. It was a nice little boost because I made a putt. But it wasn't over until he said it was over.

Q. But you had a good time, yeah?
FRED COUPLES: Oh, no, like I said, it's really a nice course, beautiful place. A nice course for my game. I drove it well probably because it's not the toughest driving course we're going to play all year. But, still, I didn't miss my shots, and when I did I got them up-and-down.
And I made one bogey all week, and it was a three-putt on the third hole the first day. But I made -- I holed a bunker shot for par and I made a lot of other par putts. But a great week for me.

Q. How about overall, first spin on the Champions Tour, is it good seeing a lot of old faces?
FRED COUPLES: Well, you know, I got a little nervous, yeah, when I was playing the Pro-Am and I saw Bernhard Langer at 18-under, which was about a fourth place finish this year. So I knew they shot low on this course.
But, yeah, to come out, see everybody, you know, it's -- and to play well. I mean, I didn't lose. You know, I'm glad I made the putt on 18, to be honest with you. I didn't -- not many putts broke across the hole the whole week. And everyone keeps telling me they don't, and that one kind of did. But I could have hit it a little harder, but I still hit a good putt. And then --

Q. About 10 feet?
FRED COUPLES: No, a little more. Probably about 12 or 14 feet.

Q. Okay. Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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