Fred Couples Invitational / Notebook -- Couples Cuts Season Back

Fred Couples said he's cut back his competitive schedule this season because two people close to him are battling cancer.

The tournament host said that Thais Baker of Los Angeles, who has been his companion at recent tournaments, is battling breast cancer.

Baker was with Couples at the Canadian Skins Game in Whistler, British Columbia, over the weekend then flew home to be with her two children "who were pining for her," he said.

Tom Couples, the golfer's 75-year-old father, has leukemia. His condition has improved although he isn't strong enough to attend this tournament.

Couples finished with an even-par 71 and said he would like to play in more events.

"Now I do (want to play), but I'm not playing like I did seven months ago," he said.

Yesterday, the tee shot on the par-5 seventh hole continued to be Couples' nemesis as he hit out of bounds, repeating the mistake he made on the final day of last year's tournament when he took an 8. He wound up losing a playoff to Phil Mickelson last year.

Couples scrambled for a bogey 6 on the hole yesterday.

Couples did not putt well. He said he didn't visit the practice green before his round because he didn't want to fight the crowd, which he estimated at 7,000.

The King of Kenmore?

Laughter and applause broke out on the first tee yesterday when public-address announcer Chuck Nelson concluded his introduction of Arnold Palmer with:

"From the Inglewood Country Club, Arnold Palmer!"

The ex-Husky football kicker said the introduction was Palmer's idea.

"He said, `Introduce me (as being) from here.' "

Palmer is no stranger to Inglewood, having shot his age (66) on the course in 1995 and scoring a hole-in-one on No. 8 in 1992.

Inglewood changed its name to Inglewood Golf Club last year to reflect that it is a golf-only club.

Notes

-- Amateurs paid $5,250 to play in yesterday's pro-am. They got a golf shirt, a wind shirt, a golf bag, money clip, lapel pin, placemats and coasters. They also played in a special Sunday event.

-- Question of the day: Mike Hulbert polled reporters about the best milkshake flavors at the Kidd Valley in Kenmore. Hulbert planned to make the drive-in his first stop on the way back to Seattle.

-- Rick Fehr, the Redmond resident who is the only PGA Tour member who lives in the state, continues to eye job opportunities that would keep him home more. However, Fehr said he wants to play enough next year to qualify for the PGA Championship at Sahalee, which is now his home course. Fehr disputed the notion that he will have a big home-course advantage at Sahalee. "These guys are professionals," he said. "They see a golf course two or three times and that's enough."

-- Peter Jacobsen has made 17 cuts in 18 Tour events this year but hasn't finished higher than ninth. "I lead the Tour in left-handed backhand tap-ins from 2 inches. I just haven't made the conversions for birdies."

-- Jason Cook, 11, is caddying for his father, John Cook, the 1995 Couples tournament winner.