Couples's first PGA Tour victory came at theKemper Openin1983atCongressional Country Clubin suburbanWashington, D.C.Playing in the final group withScott SimpsonandChen Tze-chung, the three finished over one hour after the previous group on the course. In spite of rounds of 77, 76, and 77, Couples, Simpson, and Chen finished tied for first along withGil MorganandBarry Jaeckelwho had finished their rounds several hours earlier. Jaeckel, who spent time in a bar waiting for regulation play to conclude, was eliminated on the first playoff hole after hitting a wild tee shot.On the second hole, Couples scored a birdie to take home the title. In addition to his Kemper Open win, Couples won another fourteen PGA Tour titles. Among them were twoPlayers Championships(1984,1996) and onemajorvictory, the1992 Masters Tournament. Couples was named thePGA Tour Player of the Yeartwice, in 1991 and 1992. He also won theVardon Trophyfor lowest scoring average in each of those years. He has been named to the United StatesRyder Cupteam five times, in 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 1997. In 1992, Couples became the first American player to reach the number one position in theOfficial World Golf Rankings(since the World Ranking points system debuted in April 1986). He spent 16 weeks at number 1, after one of the hottest ever starts to a season by a PGA Tour player. Beginning with theNissan Los Angeles Open, where he defeatedDavis Love IIIin a playoff, Couples won two tournaments and finished second in two others in the five weeks leading up to The Masters. AtAugusta, Couples carried over his momentum, shooting in the 60s in each of the first three rounds to hold second place heading into Sunday. After a shaky start to his final round that allowed 49-year-oldRaymond Floydto claim the lead, Couples took it back with 18- and 20-foot birdie putts at the 8th and 9th holes, respectively, then saved par on a slick 6-footer at 10. At 12 (perhaps the scariest par-3 in the world), Couples barely clearedRae's Creekin front of the green. Although his ball rolled back towards the water, it incredibly remained on the bank and he saved par. Sensing that destiny was on his side, Couples held off Floyd the rest of the way, completing Augusta's treacherous back nine with eight pars and one birdie to win his first Major. The win pushed Couples past the $1million mark in earnings on the season as well, by far the fastest any player had reached that plateau. Couples is sometimes called "Mr. Skins" because of his dominance in theSkins Game. He has won the event five times (in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2003, and 2004), accumulating over$3.5 million and 77 skins in 11 appearances. Because of his dominance at the Skins and other off-season events like theJohnnie Walker World Golf Championship, Couples is also known as the "King of the Silly Season", referring to the exotic made-for-TV events staged in the winter that are better known as the "silly season". Couples was frequently accused of "choking" in his early career, with mistakes in the1989 Ryder Cupand the1990 PGA ChampionshipatShoal Creek Golf and Country Cluboften mentioned. Couples has nine top-10 finishes in the Open Championship, including tying for third in1991atRoyal Birkdale, shooting a last round 64, and again tying for third in2005atSt Andrews. In addition to hisThe Open Championshipsuccess Couples played well in many other international tournaments. He won two prestigious European Tour events, theDubai Desert Classicand theJohnnie Walker Classic, in back-to-back weeks in 1995. He also finished runner-up in three European Tour events in his career: the 1989BMW International Open, the 1994Johnnie Walker Classic, and the 1997Heineken Classic. He also finished runner-up on theAustralasian Tour's 1988Johnnie Walker Australian Classic, Japan Golf Tour's prestigious 1993Dunlop Phoenix Tournament, and the Asian Tour's 2005SK Telecom Open. Since March1994,back injuries have affected Couples's career.His swing features an extreme shoulder turn at the top, which, combined with the fact that he keeps his left foot flat on the ground throughout the backswing, puts a lot of pressure on his lower back. However, with an abbreviated schedule, Couples is still one of the best players on Tour. In 2003, at age 44, Couples finished 34th on the PGA Tour money list. That year he also won theShell Houston Open, his first win in five years; Couples wept with joy after the win, but quickly explained the tears, saying: "I'm always emotional when nice things happen to nice people." In April2006, Couples challenged atAugusta, making a Sunday run at what would have been his second green jacket before finally losing to eventual winnerPhil Mickelson, with whom he was paired in the final round. Had Couples won, he would have been the oldest player ever to win theMastersat age 46years, 188dayssupplantingJack Nicklaus, who, coincidentally, won his final Masters 20 years earlier and also at the age of 46. His competitiveness in the tournament was an encouraging sign for his career. "I didn't hit the ball like I was 46," Couples said. Couples's part in the USA 1993Dunhill Cupwin included victory in all five of his matches, and his overall record reads: played 16, won 12, lost 4. In 2004, Couples won theDunhill Links ChampionshipTeam Event at St Andrews, partnered by New ZealandamateurCraig Heatley. In 2005 Couples sank a crucial putt in thePresidents Cup, securing an unlikely 1-up victory over the International team's best player,Vijay Singh. This match proved to be pivotal in the contest. Couples has now played Singh three times in Presidents Cupmatch play, and has yet to lose. The product is a Fred Couples signed Masters pin flag from the 1992 Champion Augusta National tournament. This authentic, original item is a piece of golf memorabilia that holds significance for fans of both Fred Couples and the Masters tournament. Displaying this flag would be a great way for a golf enthusiast to commemorate their admiration for the player and the prestigious event.