The Newest ‘Mr. 59’ – Fred Couples

In town for the week to compete in the Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic, being held at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, Seattle native Fred Couples went out for a friendly round of golf at Broadmoor Golf Club, and ended up joining a select few.

Wearing a Seattle Mariners hat, the World Golf Hall of Famer went around Broadmoor in 59 shots, setting a new course record on the par-70 layout. His card included nine birdies and an eagle – on the par-5 18th, Couples reached the green in two shots and sank the eagle putt that enabled him to break the magic 60 barrier.

Playing alongside Fred (and signing the scorecard at the end) was Broadmoor member John Bracken, a long-time friend of Couples. No slouch himself, earlier this summer Bracken had won the PNGA Senior Men’s Amateur.

Couples has deep roots in the region’s golf community, having learned the game at Seattle’s Jefferson Park Golf Course and now is serving as the honorary chairman of the capital campaign to build a new clubhouse for The First Tee of Greater Seattle, which is based at Jefferson Park. As a junior golfer, Couples won the 1976 PNGA Junior Boys’ Amateur, as well as the 1978 WSGA Men’s State Amateur.

Broadmoor has been the site of other notable records, including Paul Casey, a native of England and a regular now on the PGA Tour, who shot a 60 from the tips at the 1999 Pac-10 Men’s Championship while playing for Arizona State University; and also legendary Byron Nelson, who shot a then-tour record 21-under-par 259 during the 1945 Seattle Open.