AT&T Byron Nelson Memories – Fred Couples Wins in 1987
Since 1968, the AT&T Byron Nelson has raised $163 million for Momentous Institute, the non-profit focused on social emotional health for all children. With your help, the Salesmanship Club of Dallas can continue to raise funds for the programs, children and families that Momentous Institute impacts. Please consider making a donation HERE or if you wish to make a custom donation, please email sales@salesmanshipclub.org
The PGA TOUR has announced due to the ongoing health crisis, all tournaments through May 10 have been cancelled. This includes the AT&T Byron Nelson in what would have been its final year at Trinity Forest Golf Club, so we are taking this opportunity to celebrate some of our favorite memories from past AT&T Byron Nelson events over the next four days.
It took overtime, three extra holes to be exact, but when the 1987 AT&T Byron Nelson concluded, Fred Couples had captured his third PGA Tour victory by defeating Mark Calcavecchia in the sudden death playoff.
The win was Couples first in three years, following the 1984 Tournament Players Championship and 1983 Kemper Open that was contested at famed Congressional Country Club.
Couples’ winning score was 14-under 266 in a week that saw ideal golf conditions with very little wind around the TPC Las Colinas. Calcavecchia fired a final round 64 to tie Couples and force the playoff.
Couples would win $108,000 of the $600,000 purse for his efforts.
Bob Lohr, who fired a tournament-low 62 in the second round, finished one shot out of the playoff after missing a 20-footer for birdie on No. 18 on Sunday.
Of note, Greg Norman, Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite all tied for sixth place, three shots behind Couples.
Couples would return the following year and finished in a tie for 1oth place with Tom Watson and David Frost, four shots behind champion Bruce Lietzke.
Couples would enjoy continued success at the AT&T Byron Nelson with a T5 finish in 1993, T2 in 1998, T11 in 2001 and T8 in 2009.
Couples’ career apex would occur in 1992 when he won the Nissan Open at Riviera and the Masters and became the first American player to reach the number one position in the Official World Golf Rankings (since the World Ranking points system debuted in April 1986). He would spend 16 weeks in the top spot.
