Behind The Greens
August 18, 2017

TOURNAMENT DATES 
August 21-27 2017




COURSE  
 


2016 CHAMPION  

 




Official Vehicle of
 Boeing Classic
 
 
Fred Couples to Play
2017 Boeing Classic
Former Masters Champ and World No. 1 Comes Home for Annual PGA Tourney

One of Seattle's greatest pro athletes, Fred Couples, announced last week he will play in this year's Boeing Classic.
"After missing Boeing Classic last year due to back health issues, I'm really looking forward to returning home, playing in this great tournament and enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest," said Couples. "I would love to do well in my hometown."
Since the start of his professional golf career in 1980 at age 21, Couples, now 57, has competed on the PGA Tour and many other tours worldwide. Over the course of his prolific, 37-year tenure, the former World No. 1 has won dozens of high-profile events - most notably the 1992 Masters, along with the 1984 and 1996 Players Championship. In 2011, he won his first senior major at the Senior Players Championship, followed by a victory at the Senior British Open in 2012. Couples was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.
"He's a beloved son of the Emerald City and local favorite," said Boeing Classic Executive Director Brian Flajole. "Everyone in this region is a Fred Couples fan. It will once again be a great opportunity to come out and show support for this hometown golf legend. We are thrilled to have him join us and one of our best field of players ever in this year's Boeing Classic."
Couples grew up on Seattle's Beacon Hill and learned to play the game he loves at Jefferson Park municipal golf course. He graduated from O'Dea High School in 1977, then accepted a golf scholarship to the University of Houston. As a 19-year-old amateur, Couples beat PGA Tour veteran - and fellow Seattle native - Don Bies in a playoff to win the 1978 Washington Open at Glendale Country Club in Bellevue.
When asked about his thoughts on potentially winning Boeing Classic at some point, Couples replied, "I've come close before. To do that again this year, I'm going to need make more birdies to keep up with the guys that seem to shoot 67 every round. But I enjoy it. I love playing there and maybe this year I can get it done."
Top Field Set for
Boeing Classic 


Includes 35 of top 36 Charles Schwab Cup Money Winners from 2016
The list of 78 PGA TOUR Champions golfers who will compete in the 13th annual Boeing Classic Aug. 21-27 at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge for a $2.1 million purse has been finalized and adds up to being one of the most impressive fields of legendary golfers to ever play in the Pacific Northwest.
"This field of PGA Champions Tour Players is truly amazing and we're thrilled that golf fans in the Seattle area will get an up-close opportunity to see the very best led by Seattle's hometown favorite Fred Couples," said Boeing Classic Executive Director Brian Flajole. "This field is truly a collection of the who's who of legendary golfers, which will make for a very exciting and competitive week of world-class golf on a great course with breathtaking views."
Format for the three-day tournament will include 54 holes of stroke play with no cut on the par 72, 7,264-yard Club Jack Nicklaus Signature Design course.
The numbers speak for themselves: 
  • Six players are members of the Golf Hall of Fame: Fred Couples, Tom Kite, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Vijay Singh and Jose Maria Olazabal
  • Seven past Boeing Classic Champions
  • 13 players have a PGA TOUR major title on their resume
  • 18 players have won major titles on PGA TOUR Champions
  • 47 players have won 218 PGA TOUR Champions titles, including
  • 53 players have won 308 PGA TOUR titles
To view the finalized field list, including links to each player's PGA TOUR Champions bio, visit   BoeingClassic.com/Players-2017 .
Boeing Classic Benefits
Three Area Non-Profits

Proceeds from this year's Boeing Classic will benefit three different Virginia Mason Foundation-funded health initiatives in support of their missions.
The largest benefactor is Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason Visit Benaroya Research Institute and their internationally recognized work on autoimmune disease advances.
The two other non-profits include   TheFirstTeeSeattle.org and A Better Seattle.org .
The First Tee of Greater Seattle helps kids and teens learn to play golf along with life lessons and leadership skills. The organizations serves more than 1,800 young people annually at nine different facilities in King County. They also partner with more than 200 local elementary and middle schools to bring the game and its inherent core values to more than 100,000 students during the school day.
Founded and led by Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll, A Better Seattle (ABS), is an initiative working to reduce and prevent youth and gang violence in the Greater Seattle area. ABS funds and supports the deployment of YMCA of Seattle's Alive & Free professional trained street outreach workers who serve youth impacted by gangs, violence and the juvenile justice system in South King County.

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