Fred Couples
With a swing so smooth they called it 'Boom Boom,' he made winning golf look effortless, captivating fans for decades with his casual cool.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American professional golfer·Birthday: October 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Fred Couples represented a new kind of golf superstar in the 1990s: less country club, more relaxed weekend player, if that weekend player possessed one of the most beautiful swings ever recorded. His nonchalant walk and effortless power made him a fan favorite, a status he has held for over thirty years. His 1992 Masters victory was iconic, sealed with a miraculous tee shot on the 12th hole that refused to roll into Rae's Creek. Though back injuries plagued his career, limiting his PGA Tour wins, they never dimmed his popularity. His later dominance on the PGA Tour Champions circuit proved his enduring talent, and his mere presence at Augusta National each year triggers waves of nostalgia and admiration.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Fred was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Fred Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Fred's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Masters Tournament in 1992 in a iconic, wire-to-wire victory.
- Captained the victorious United States team at the 2022 Presidents Cup.
- Won the Players Championship twice, in 1984 and 1996.
- Spent 16 weeks as the number one golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking in 1992.
Did You Know?
He became the oldest player to make the cut at the Masters Tournament in 2023 at age 63.
He is known for almost always wearing a pair of FootJoy Classics golf shoes, even after they were discontinued.
He has a species of crab native to Oregon named after him: 'Fred Couples Crab.'
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.
“I'm not that intense. I get nervous, but I don't show it. That's just my personality.”
