SKINS GAME: SKINS OF THEIR TEETH MONTGOMERIE BEATS COUPLES IN EXTRA HOLES.Byline: Larry Morgan Staff Writer INDIO - Fred Couples Frederick Stephen Couples (born October 3, 1959) is an American professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour. He has won numerous events, and is most famous for winning the 1992 Masters Tournament. said there is a lot of luck involved in the Skins Game, and he should know from winning more than $2 million in eight appearances. But the defending champion's luck ran out on Sunday's back nine at Landmark Golf Club. Scotland's Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE (born June 23, 1963) is a Scottish professional golfer often referred to by his nickname 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles including a streak of seven consecutively defeated Couples on the third playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. hole and won the title with two-day earnings of $415,000. Good fortune smiled on Montgomerie all weekend. He won three skins (and $75,000) with a par on the fifth hole Saturday, and his clinching par in the playoff netted him three more skins and $340,000. ``As Freddie said all the time, the Skins Game is all about luck,'' said Sergio Garcia, who finished third with $200,000. Vijay Singh For the politician, see . Vijay Singh (born 22 February, 1963) is a professional golfer who was number one in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. was second at $260,000 and Couples was last at $125,000. ``You can play great and not win anything. ``That's the way the Skins Game is.'' Garcia arguably ar·gu·a·ble adj. 1. Open to argument: an arguable question, still unresolved. 2. That can be argued plausibly; defensible in argument: three arguable points of law. was the best player in the foursome with nine birdies over two days. One of them came Sunday on the par-4, 318-yard 14th hole, on which his drive glanced off the cheek of a female spectator. Garcia then chipped to six feet and made the putt for a birdie. ``I gave her a couple of kisses and she looked happy,'' Garcia said. Singh, on the other hand, wasn't too happy on the first extra hole after missing a four-foot putt that would have kept him in the playoff. His putter betrayed him most of the way, but he did make an eight-footer for birdie on the par-3, 183-yard 15th hole Sunday and won $210,000. It appeared as if that total would win the competition, but the final three holes were halved halve tr.v. halved, halv·ing, halves 1. To divide (something) into two equal portions or parts. 2. To lessen or reduce by half: halved the recipe to serve two. 3. and Couples and Montgomerie were back in it. Singh said he still had a good time. ``You get a chance to freewheel free·wheel n. also free wheel 1. A power-transmission device that allows the drive shaft of a motor vehicle to continue turning when its speed is greater than that of the engine shaft. 2. it out there,'' he said. ``It was a lot of fun.'' Couples almost had the most fun of all when he drove the green on the first playoff hole, the par-4, 334-yard 14th. Montgomerie had driven left of the putting surface and chipped short, but his next chip went in the cup for a stunning birdie. Couples' try for an eagle and a victory stopped an inch short of the hole. ``I thought I had won it right there,'' he said. Couples had another chance to win it on the second playoff hole, the par-3, 183-yard 15th, but he missed a five-footer for birdie. An errant er·rant adj. 1. Roving, especially in search of adventure: knights errant. 2. Straying from the proper course or standards: errant youngsters. 3. drive on the third extra hole, the par-5, 563-yard 18th, left him in a fairway bunker, and his second shot hit the lip of the hazard and a nearby golf cart. His third shot from underneath a bush kicked left and into a lake guarding the fairway, and Montgomerie had it made. ``I basically gave it to him,'' Couples said. ``And his other skins he won with a par. I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. if that's ever been done. You win $500,000 (actually $415,000) with par, par.'' Montgomerie admitted his game wasn't in top form. He was badly outdriven by his opponents and his approach shots often weren't close enough for strong bids at birdie. ``I didn't actually play very well and I think my playing partners would agree,'' he said. Yes, I got very fortunate.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Colin Montgomerie misses a birdie putt on No. 11, but he came back Sunday to unseat Fred Couples as champion of the Skins Game. Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press |
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