Fred Couples’ ‘silent killer’ playing partner at PNC? His son

Fred Couples has played in 622 events on the PGA Tour and made another 154 on the PGA Tour Champions, but this weekend will mark his first: his debut in Cadillac of the absurd season tournaments: the PNC Championship, feeling good, yet still uber- competitive, a story where 20 of the sport’s most successful players – including 11 former world No. 1’s – will team up for two days with their sons, daughters and grandchildren.

Or in the case of married couples, his adopted son.

In a 36-hole best-of-the-ball event at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando, the couple will square off with Hunter Hanneman, the 12-year-old son of the couple’s wife, Suzanne.

Relative to most of the young’uns in the field, Hunter came to golf late. He was 10 years old when he started playing – this was a few years after Fred and Suzanne met – but he quickly warmed to the game, squeezing in a circuit or training session between football and basketball games. Today, high-level volleyball is Hunter’s main goal, which Hunter says has helped her become more comfortable competing in front of large crowds, as she will at PNC.

This won’t be the first time Hunter and Couples have competed together. Last year they met in Palm Springs, Calif. – they played NFL legend John Elway in the second round – and they won. Earlier this fall, Couples said he spoke with Hunter about playing at PNC. Hunter took a day to think about it before deciding he was in.

Dialing in Hunter’s game, Couples and Hunter played five straight days in Palm Springs over Thanksgiving break. “You did very well,” the couple said this week. “You hit it far.”

Couples said he was “probably angrier than Hunter” about this week. For years, the couple watched his tour buddies – Raymond Floyd, DL3, Tiger – talk to their offspring at this event, which always left the couple feeling a little annoyed. “I’ve seen enough that every pro coming out of the 18th round says it was the greatest week of their lives,” he said.

Now, the couple, who are 65 years old, will finally experience competition and camaraderie.

When Tiger – who is playing at PNC with his son Charlie for the fifth time this week – got wind that Couples was playing, he texted the couple.

“Dude, I’m so happy for you,” Tiger wrote, as Couples recalled. “Just a hang you’ll love.”

The couple said Tiger even asked if he and Hunter wanted to play with him and Charlie.

“That won’t happen,” said the couple in response.

Lovers and Hunter may not feel ready for the spotlight that comes with playing with the Woodses, but they will be in a high-water group anyway, playing alongside No. 1 of the world Nelly Korda and her former tennis champion father, Petr. “That made us very happy because Hunter and I can work together with Nelly, we will be quiet and happy,” said the couple.

He continued, “I will watch Hunter a lot, I will watch Nelly a lot.” I will watch Hunter more.”

Lovers will also be worth watching, in part because fans haven’t seen him play much this year. After missing the cut at the Masters in April, he took four months to rest his bad back. He returned to the Champions Tour in August but has played just three events in the past five months, finishing in the top 20.

When asked this week if he still enjoys playing, Couples said: “I love it. I don’t last long. So I’ve tried my last six or eight years to figure out how to be successful and just go somewhere and play and not hit anybody. Then I practice more, then I go to play a tournament, and then my back goes out.

“Last year it was very bad. I couldn’t really play. I went to Augusta because I’m stubborn and I want to play.” This week, he added, “Actually – knock on wood – I feel really good.”

Of course, no matter how he and Hunter play, you get the sense that the week will be a success no matter what. In fact, it feels like it’s been happening for a long time. Speaking about his teammates who were training with Hunter, Couples said: “All eight people pulled me aside and said they were blasting Hunter.” I never really worried about it. He is a shy killer. You know what to say.”