How many birdies did you make in your last round of golf? One? Two? Four?
How about 12?
Today marks the 25th anniversary of a record-breaking round from Fred Couples in which the American carded 12 birdies.
The Scandinavian Masters, now known as the Nordea Masters, took place at Drottningholm Golf Club in Stockholm in August 1991. Having opened with a scrappy round of 74, which included a five-putt and two four-putts, Couples was in need of a low Friday round to get himself back into contention and find his confidence again on the greens.
Having won five times already on the US PGA Tour, the World Number Eight was keen to notch his first victory on the European Tour.
What happened next was one of the greatest stretches of golf in Tour history. Teeing off early, Couples birdied 12 of his opening 16 holes and needed to play the last two holes in one under to shoot the first ever European Tour 59, a feat that still has not been achieved today. Couples would bogey the par three 17th however and par the final hole for an 11 under par round of 61.
I knew the record was on and I'd got the feeling for a 59 - Fred Couples
"It was just a terrible shot on 17, no excuse," said Couples. "I had hit bad shots there in the skins game, in the pro-am and in the first round, and I was just trying to get par and perhaps birdie the last. It's my best round, though, and if I can keep the birdies coming I've got a chance of winning now. I didn't have that after an embarrassing first round."
Weekend rounds of 71 and 68 would see Couples finish in a tie for sixth, behind a host of famous European Tour names such as David Feherty, Ian Woosnam, Robert Karlsson, Seve Ballesteros and the winner that week, Colin Montgomerie.
However, it was only eight months later that Couples would go on to win the Masters and climb to Number One in the World Golf Rankings
To this day, no player has beaten Couples’ 12-birdie day in Sweden. In the 25 years since, five others have equalled the feat, including Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and most recently Raphaël Jacquelin at the 2013 Turkish Airlines Open.
