Christian Stratton Couch (born May 1, 1973) is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.
| Chris Couch | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Christian Stratton Couch |
| Born | May 1, 1973 Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg; 16.1 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Winter Garden, Florida |
| Career | |
| College | University of Florida |
| Turned professional | 1995 |
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 6 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 1 |
| Korn Ferry Tour | 5 (Tied 7th all time) |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | CUT: 2006 |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Couch was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Buddy Alexander's Florida Gators men's golf team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1992 to 1995.[1] As a sophomore, he was a member of the Gators' 1993 NCAA championship team that also included future PGA Tour golfer Brian Gay.[1] During his time as a Gator golfer, the team also won Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships in 1992, 1993 and 1994.[1] Couch was recognized as the SEC Freshman of the Year in 1992, a second-team All-SEC selection in 1993 and 1994, and a first-team All-SEC selection in 1995.[1] In 1993 and 1995, he received All-American honors.[2]
Couch turned professional in 1995. It took him a long time to get established and his first couple of spells on the PGA Tour ended when he failed to win enough money to retain his tour card. He won five times on the Nationwide Tour between 2001 and 2005, and in 2006 he made a breakthrough by winning the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He won with a 55-foot chip-in (using a cross-handed grip) after a poor shot out of a difficult lie in a bunker.
A poor 2007 season saw Couch finish 167th on the money list and he did not play in 2008 due to a shoulder injury. He played on the PGA Tour in 2009 and 2010 on a major medical extension. By August 2010, Couch earned enough to satisfy his medical exemption and keep his tour card.
Couch went six years without playing a PGA Tour event due to a back injury before making the cut at the 2018 Valspar Championship with a T68.
Professional wins (6) edit
PGA Tour wins (1) edit
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr 30, 2006 | Zurich Classic of New Orleans | −19 (70-70-64-65=269) | 1 stroke |  Fred Funk, Charles Howell III
|
Nationwide Tour wins (5) edit
| Legend |
| Tour Championships (1) |
| Other Nationwide Tour (4) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mar 11, 2001 | Buy.com Florida Classic | −15 (67-69-69-64=269) | 1 stroke | Chad Campbell
|
| 2 | Sep 14, 2003 | Oregon Classic | −14 (66-68-71-69=274) | Playoff | Jason Bohn
|
| 3 | Nov 2, 2003 | Nationwide Tour Championship | −18 (66-67-65-72=270) | 3 strokes | D. J. Brigman
|
| 4 | May 15, 2005 | Rheem Classic | −15 (69-66-70-60=265) | 5 strokes | Troy Matteson
|
| 5 | Jun 12, 2005 | LaSalle Bank Open | −15 (66-67-69-67=269) | 4 strokes | Kevin Durkin,  Paul Gow, Mario Tiziani
|
Nationwide Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003 | Oregon Classic | Jason Bohn
|
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
Results in major championships edit
| Tournament | 2006 |
|---|---|
| PGA Championship | CUT |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
Note: Couch only played in the PGA Championship.
Results in The Players Championship edit
| Tournament | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | CUT | T17 | T50 | T23 |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Results in World Golf Championships edit
| Tournament | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Match Play | |
| Championship | |
| Invitational | T68 |
"T" = Tied
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d Florida Men's Golf 2011 Media Supplement Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 28, 34, 38, 39, 41 (2010). Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ 2008–09 Florida Gators Men's Golf Media Guide Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 36 (2008). Retrieved July 14, 2011.
External links edit
- Chris Couch at the PGA Tour official site
- Chris Couch at the Official World Golf Ranking official site