Fred Couples to play Australian Open

16 Nov 2009, 7:30 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Popular former world No.1 Fred Couples is to play next month's Australian Open golf championship in a timely boost following Greg Norman's withdrawal.

The Australian Open will feature the "Wild Thing" and "Gentleman Fred" after highly popular American Fred Couples joined controversial John Daly as a major drawcard for next month's tournament at Sydney's spectacular New South Wales links course.

Open organisers missed out on Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh and then had Greg Norman pull out after shoulder surgery.

Couples initially turned down an offer from Open promoter Tony Roosenberg who last week was set to gamble on two American players to add to the field.

"But I got an e-mail from Freddy's manager last Wednesday saying `hold on, he's re-thinking'," said Roosenberg, thrilled to have signed such a decorated player.

"We did the deal in 24 hours which was fantastic.

"We're rapt to have him because we were looking good there with Tiger and then Greg and with Vijay (Singh) coming and then Greg not being able to play.

"To replace Greg with Fred Couples, that is sort of on a par where you want to be".

The Open can't expect to match the mayhem generated by Tiger Woods at last week's Masters in Melbourne but Roosenberg believes the line-up will still be attractive to Australian golf fans.

"We have to be careful we continue to be confident about Australian golf because we saw last week it is a one man game - which is great if your name is Tiger Woods.

"It's sad for tournaments that don't have him because people say `yeah, but you didn't have Tiger Woods'.

"But he's not going to play 52 weeks of the year, is he?"

With 46 career victories, Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, fits the bill and showed he remains competitive among the world's best players with four top 10 finishes on the US tour from 16 starts in 2009.

The sweet-swinging 50-year-old also captained the US team to victory over Norman's International side in last month's Presidents Cup in San Francisco.

He joins fellow Americans John Daly, Steve Marino, Kevin Stadler and Bryce Molder in the field alongside Australian stars including Geoff Ogilvy, Adam Scott, James Nitties, Greg Chalmers, Aaron Baddeley, Stuart Appleby, Michael Sim, Marc Leishman and Mathew Goggin.

The five-time Ryder Cup representative last played the Australian Open in 1998 at Royal Adelaide Golf Club.

Roosenberg said Daly and Couples would play in opposite sides of the draw on the first two days so fans could enjoy them both.

"If you want to come and have a look at a great character and colourful man you have John Daly," he said.

"If you want to come and see a gentleman of golf who has done it all, you've got Fred Couples there.

"They may even go head to head on the weekend.

"How would that be?

"Wow, that would be a crowd pleaser for sure, a promoter's dream."

Roosenberg, who's promoted golf tournaments in Australian for two decades, said he'd rarely seen scenes like last week at Kingston Heath.

"Once when Daly and Norman and (Nick) Faldo, (Ernie) Els and (Colin) Montgomery were playing at The Vines we had three kilometre traffic jam outside the course at 9am," he said.

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