For Couples, The End Means A Fresh Start -- Outlook Brighter After Divorce, And He Expects A Huge Season

DALLAS - There are divorces, and then there are celebrations. Sometimes when one ends, the other starts.

As in Fred Couples' messy case.

"Once it was over, it was a great feeling," Couples said recently of the well-publicized settlement in October that ended his 12-year marriage with wife Deborah. "It was probably a better feeling than winning at Augusta."

That spells relief in large letters, for Couples was referring to his 1992 Masters victory. He was referring to the highlight of his golf career. And he was saying that a handshake in court likely meant more.

"I think I'd be divorced after 12 more years if I ever got married again," Couples said, smiling. "It was perfect for me."

In other words, Couples, the PGA Tour Player of the Year in 1991 and '92, is feeling good again. You can tell that not only by his words, but by his face and his scores. He appears more relaxed, unconcerned, even enthusiastic. On the course, he shook off the flu and finished second in a playoff to Phil Mickelson in the 1994 PGA Tour's kickoff event, the Mercedes Championships, and was runner-up by one shot to Greg Norman in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand earlier this month.

What all this means is Couples is hot and unbothered, that just about nobody would be surprised if he has a hugely successful season. That includes Couples himself.

"I can't wait," he said last month.

That means he plans to pay more attention to golf, to spend more time with his instructor, to increase his U.S. tournaments from 19 to maybe 24, to relax more.

"I felt like last year was a wasted year," Couples said. "I didn't have fun or play well until the end of the year."

Meaning after the divorce settlement, the week he turned 34.

Couples finished '93 in high gear. He won two tournaments and $981,125 in the final three months of the year, after one victory and $796,579 the first nine months.

Last fall, he won the World Cup, won at Kapalua, shot lower than anyone else in five Dunhill Cup matches, finished second at Johnnie Walker World Championship, the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan and the Skins Game, and shot a closing 65 at the Tour Championship.

"His performance improved almost immediately after the divorce," said Couples' instructor and confidant, Houston Country Club head pro Paul Marchand. "His whole outlook is terrific now. . . . It was hard being a public figure when stuff like that was going on."

The divorce proceeding, even for someone who is usually unflappable, was a large distraction, a pit in the stomach for Couples.

He didn't practice much in '93, he says, because he didn't feel like it, and performance suffered, especially on Sundays. He worked only twice in '93 with Marchand, compared to about eight times the previous two years.

And he noticed that his personality changed. He says he was "antsy and edgy" much of last year.

Couples, who had 10 top-10 finishes and placed 10th on the year-end money list, said it was hard for him to enjoy golf because he was angry.

"A lot of tournaments I just showed up and played," he said. "And I had a bad attitude to friends. I was kind of cold. I just wanted to do my own thing and not get calls from people I didn't want to deal with.

"I wanted to be the biggest jerk I could be. I thought it would make me feel better."

He was bothered in September when Deborah sent notes via fax to U.S. team members at the Ryder Cup in England. He wasn't himself. He seemed distant, played poorly and suffered from headaches.

But his mind is clear now. He and new love Tawnya Dodd have moved into a new home in Plano, Texas, near Gleneagles, the country club he has joined. Couples has shot several 64s at Gleneagles' two courses. Couples has established himself as one of the guys, playing often with pro shop personnel. Around town, he has been an avid sports fan, attending several pro events.

"Nobody here bothers him," Gleneagles head pro Eldridge Miles said. "I think that's why he joined. He's just one of the guys."

That's not the case on tour. This decade, he has established himself as America's leading player. The cornerstone has been 1992, when he was No. 1 on the money list.

"I personally believe he'll have a number of years better than '92," Marchand said. "He's improving. He has some incredible capabilities. And his game is more mature and consistent."

And, now, unfettered.