Fred Couples has moved into third position in the US career money list with earnings of $10,362,504 since joining the tour there in 1981. And he could eventually become the all-time leader, given the injury problems of current number one Greg Norman and the fact that second-placed Tom Kite will be 50 next year.
This is among Couples's rewards for winning the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village last weekend, when he overcame two weather delays in the final round to finish four strokes clear of his closest challenger, Andrew Magee. It also provided compensation for the disappointment being runner-up in the US Masters and the Byron Nelson Classic.
The 38-year-old has played only 11 tournaments in the US this year. He missed one cut, in the Buick Invitational in February, the week after he captured the Bob Hope Classic with brilliant, five-round figures of 64, 70, 66, 66, 66 for a 28-under-par total of 332.
With a cheque for $396,000 at Memorial, he now tops the US money list with earnings of $1,477,017 so far this season. And he has done all of that despite the death of his father, an ongoing back problem and a suspect putting stroke which caused him to change over to the cack-handed method. His success at Muirfield Village was facilitated by two key factors. Over the four days, he was 12under-par for the par fives, including three eagles. And the pressure on him was eased markedly by his rivals' costly play of the water-dominated ninth hole, where David Duval and Davis Love both carded double-bogeys on Sunday.
Tiger Woods, who shot a closing 73 to be tied 51st on level par in the Memorial, is back in action this week in the Kemper Open. But Couples is among several leading players taking the week off, which means places in the field for Ireland's Richard Coughlan and Keith Nolan.
Meanwhile, of the current top20 of the career money list in the US, it is interesting to note that Davis Love is the only player under 35 years of age. Which, theoretically, would make him favourite to lead the list at some stage in the future.
US Money List (Top 10) (US unless stated)
1, Fred Couples - $1,477,017
2, David Duval - $1,462.155
3, Justin Leonard - $1,152,209
4, Tiger Woods - $1,061,234
5, Mark O'Meara - $894,724
6, John Huston - $862,552
7, Jim Furyk - $840,615
8, Mark Calcavecchia - $840,124
9, Glen Day - $836,519
10, Tom Watson - $832,385
US Career Money List (Top 10)
1, Greg Norman (Aust) - $11,936.443
2, Tom Kite - $10,417,199
3, Fred Couples - $10,362,504
4, Mark O'Meara - $9,401,499
5, Davis Love III - $9,176,569
6, Tom Watson - $9,139,662
7, Nick Price (Zimb) - $9,102,196
8, Payne Stewart - $8,901,697
9, Mark Calcavecchia - $8,453,056
10, Scott Hoch - $8,426,424
