Couples shot a two-under 70, which dropped him from 17th, where he started the day, down to 24th. Couples had it to 4-under on the day, with the short par 4 15th (which he eagled in the third round) and the par 5 1th to go. Couples attempted to drive the green on the 15th, but his drive went right. He was unable to get up and down. He three putted the par 5 16th, leading to a bogey. Couples picked up another bogey at the 18th when he hit his approach into the water.

Fred finished eight shots behind winner Marc Turnesa.

Couples PGA Tour season is likely over. Couples will play in the ADT Skills Challenge in Florida the first of November and the World Challenge (Tiger’s tournament) in California just before Christmas.

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However, Fred found new life on 12 and 13, scoring birdies at both holes moving him back to even for the day, and back up the leaderboard. Finally, at the short par 4 15th hole, Fred rolled the dice and hit jackpot as he made eagle. Another biride at the 16th, Fred was on a roll and moved to -3 for the day. Fred’s 69 pretty broke even for the day - six shots out of the lead held by Marc Turnesa.

Fred will let it ride tomorrow at 2:15 PM (Eastern) with Kevin Na.

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The way Couples views it, Jordan has six NBA championship rings and knows all about team chemistry, whether it is basketball or golf. Part of that was seen with his interaction with Anthony Kim on the 14th tee at Valhalla. “I think he may be able to instill quite a bit to our team,” Couples said. “He has been to every Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup that I’ve played in. He’s extremely passionate about the game of golf.”

The text message joke that Norman is referring to is the news that Fred has become quite the text message junkie - including texting fellow couch potato Tiger Woods during the Ryder Cup.

Fred and Greg Norman also sat down with San Francisco Chronicle writer Ron Kroichick for an interview to discuss next year’s battle at Harding Park.

Not everybody is impressed by the selection, however. Chris Baldwin at Travel Golf ripped Fred for the selection.

Well, Fred Couples is threatening to one up Daly with a move that’s even more ridiculous - and amazingly apparently thought out. Making it even worse, Couples is doing it after being put in a leadership position in golf.

While Chris’ point is understandable - picking a basketball player to be an assistant captain for a golf tournament does seem strange. However, he dilutes his logic with this:

The only good thing about Couples making a mockery of golf by giving a celebrity hanger on official status is it shows just how ridiculous and overrated these captain positions in the Ryder and Presidents Cup are. There is no coaching job in sport that has such little effect on the competition. Again, Paul Azinger’s role in that Ryder Cup win couldn’t have been more overplayed or exaggerated by a fawning media looking for the easy story.

So, Mr. Baldwin goes one direction, ripping Fred for the selection, but then goes on to say that Captains really don’t do anything. If they don’t do anything, then what’s the big deal? Couples picked Jordan for motivation, not to tell Tiger how to hit a wedge.

Here’s a few more shots at Fred from Mr. Baldwin:

You don’t have to be the brightest bulb in the pack to captain a Ryder or Presidents Cup team.

Couples proved that more than he ever knows with his blatant Michael Jordan idol worship. If you’re going to go this far and spit on the game to get your kicks, why not just name Angelina Jolie as the U.S. squad’s official morale booster too and get her to parade around San Francisco’s Harding Park in a skin tight cat suit during the event?

It will be fun to read Mr. Baldwin’s blog when he finds out Fred has picked Robin Williams for entertainment.

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In his second round, Fred would play one of his best rounds in a very long time - perhaps his best round in two years. It was the model of consistency and good putting. He started off on the back nine, and equaled his back nine score of the first round with 31. His only hiccup on his way to a second round 64 was a three-putt bogey at the par three eighth (Fred’s seventeenth). Fred bounced back at the par 5 ninth, striking a drive over 330 yards. His 5-iron from 220 yards was stayed out at the left, but a good effort from over 50 feet for eagle left a tap in birdie.

Fred finds himself six shots off the lead held by Matt Kuchar and Marc Tumesa. However, he is only three shots behind third place Zack Johnson. Fred will tee off in the third round at 2:56 PM with Chad Campbell.

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The Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open is played at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, Nevada, designed by Fuzzy Zoeller/Bobby Weed. The course plays over 7,200 yards at a par of 72 and opened in 1991.

Thursday and Friday Tee Times: (Times Eastern)
Thu, 10/16: 10:28 AM (#1)
Fri, 10/17: 2:58 PM (#10)
Partners: John Rollins and Jeff Maggert

TV this week:
Thu, 10/16: Golf Channel 5-8
Fri, 10/17: Golf Channel 5-8
Sat, 10/18: Golf Channel 5-8
Sun, 10/19: Golf Channel 5-8

Official site: Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open @ PGATour.com

Defending Champion: George McNeill

LOWERING THE BOOM-BOOM: The four-man field for the LG Skins Game was announced last week, and the biggest news was who would not be playing at Indian Wells over Thanksgiving weekend.

How can there be a Skins Game without Fred Couples?

Couples is playfully known as the “King of the Silly Season,” especially the Skins Game. He has played 14 times, captured 95 skins and earned over US$4.2 million, more than he has made playing in the majors.

Instead, defending champion and Calgary native Stephen Ames will join Phil Mickelson, K.J. Choi and Rocco Mediate.

“I’m glad I’m not playing,” Couples said at the Deutsche Bank Championship, where he missed the cut. “I’m done with golf. I was feeling so good, but I think I’m playing too much. This may be my last real event.”

Couples did not express disappointment, but a tinge was evident. He said he was hopeful of playing again, but he was pleased for Choi and Mediate. And no, Couples did not ask for an exemption.

“I can’t be picked every year,” he said. “I played enough. And it was fun.”

Likely, this was frustration after finishing in last place after the first two rounds of the Deutsche Bank Championship, but obviously Fred’s game has slipped in the last few weeks. He is still scheduled to play at the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Europe next week.

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The four-over score leaves Fred in 116th place - just three shots out of last place. Fred will likely need to shoot between 66 and 68 to make the cut, which is important in the playoffs in order to pickup the larger points in the FedEx Cup.

Tomorrow Fred will go off on the back nine at 12:21 PM Eastern. View photos from The Barclays here.

Ridgewood Country Club was designed by A.W. Tillinghast and opened in 1929. Tillinghast did other New York area courses like Winged Foot and Bethpage Black. It hosted the 2001 Senior PGA Championship. This is the first time the course has hosted a PGA Tour event since 1981.

The FedEx Cup’s first of four events at the Barclays brings the top 144 players from the regular season for the opening round. Twenty-four players will be cut after the first tournament heading into the second event to be held at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, leaving 120 players still in the FedEx Cup.

Fred finds himself currently ranked 89th in the playoffs, meaning he is likely to make the second round of the playoffs. In order to make the third round of the playoffs at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Fred will need to get inside the top 70 of FedEx Cup points.

TV this week:
Thu, 8/21: Golf Channel 2-6
Fri, 8/22: Golf Channel 2-6
Sat, 8/23: CBS 3-6
Sun, 8/24: CBS 3-6

Official site: TheBarclaysGolf.com | Tickets

PGA Tour site: The Barclays @ PGATour.com

Defending Champion: Steve Stricker (-16)

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As he made the turn, he birdied the first and second holes moving back to even for the day and well inside the cut line. With just one player under par, +6 was actually still in the championship. However, Fred would bogey 5, 7 and 8 pushing him to +9 and outside the top 70 and ties that will make the cut.

Fred’s next match may not be until he goes to Germany to play in the Mercedes-Benz Championships in mid-September. However, Fred will qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, but he has yet to indicate if he’ll participate in the playoffs.

Couples made 7 bogeys on the day, including an opening stretch where Fred bogeyed four of the first seven holes. Fred would get one shot back at the par four 15th, making his only birdie of the day.

Since the first round did not complete, the second round tee times might be slightly delayed.