Insider: Champions' best can still battle on PGA TOUR, too

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Chris Condon/PGA TOUR

John Cook won the Champions Tour opener and has kept the good form going while playing on the PGA TOUR.

In his most recent start, Fred Couples demonstrated the power of synergy between a golfer and a golf course.

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Video: Cook third at Mayakoba
Champions notebook

In his most recent start, John Cook proved he's capable of competing at the highest levels.

Couples & Cook. Sounds like a law firm and that's appropriate because they certainly made a strong case for the Champions Tour when they took busman's holidays on the PGA TOUR.

For Couples, there are positive vibes every step of the way each time he returns to Riviera Country Club. At the PGA TOUR's Northern Trust Open two weeks ago, Couples, 51, asked no quarter and gave none against the kids. For 3 and a half rounds of golf on one of his two favorite courses, he was exceptional. It was vintage Couples, a blast from the past.

With the Champions Tour in a mid-winter break, Cook, winner of the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii, had no intention of letting his good form go to waste. He teed it up last week at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera-Maya Cancun and turned in a sterling third-place finish behind winner Johnson Wagner.

"I think the important thing to know is the guys in their 50s haven't lost their competitiveness and they haven't lost their game," said Cook, 53.

"If our health holds, which at our age we're all starting to have health issues, but other than that, there's certain courses that we all can compete on still, whether it's Fred, whether it's me, Tom Lehman, it doesn't matter. (Mark) Calcavecchia. It doesn't matter. Certain courses we'll be able to compete on because that's what we've done. We know how to compete."

Five of the six Champions Tour players at the Mayakoba Classic made the cut. In addition to Cook, they were Tom Lehman (T13), Tom Pernice Jr. (T19), Steve Lowery (T29) and Michael Allen (T56). Fred Funk, the 2007 Mayakoba Classic champion, missed the cut.

This week at the Honda Classic, the Champions Tour will be represented by Calcavecchia, Nick Price, Funk, Kenny Perry and Lee Rinker.

Next week, Couples and Cook return to action on the Champions Tour at the Toshiba Classic at Newport Beach Country Club. Couples, the defending champion, connected instantly to Newport Beach CC.

Although Couples once lived in Newport Beach, he had never played the course until last year's Toshiba Classic.

"It was the first time I'd ever seen it," Couples said. "I played two Pro-Ams, and I really, really liked it. I like the greens. I like the way the course is set up. I'm from Seattle, and we play a lot of courses like that, where they're not extremely long. They're kind of tricky, and they're very, very good greens.

"When you go play courses, sometimes you like them, sometimes you don't. And that one I just liked from the beginning."

There was little about Toshiba Classic week that Couples didn't enjoy last year.

"I had probably 50 very close friends that came out to watch, which was fun," Couples said. "As you know, Newport is one of the top two or three for crowd attendance. I can tell you that it was very fun playing in front of that many people. I played with Mark O'Meara and Tom Watson. So it was a great pairing."

This is a time of the year that Couples relishes. In addition to Riviera and Newport Beach, he'll soon be back at Augusta National Golf Club to play in another Masters. Augusta National and Riviera are his favorites and his excellence in playing those courses is well-documented.

In 2010, Couples rode his string of impressive victories on the Champions Tour into the Masters -- now only five weeks away -- and put on another glistening display to tie for sixth on the course Bobby Jones built.

"I always shoot for the Masters," said Couples, who won his green jacket in 1992.

It's no mystery why that's the case. Couples (1983-2007) shares the Masters record for most consecutive cuts made at 23 with Gary Player and Couples has 11 top 10 finishes in his career. He opened with 66 last year at Augusta National to take the first-round lead and closed with rounds of 68-70. The only blemish was a third-round 75.

There were few blemishes on Cook's play at Mayakoba. He put a charge into the final round with a 66 on the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. His 270 total was 14-under. It was Cook's best PGA TOUR finish since a T3 at the 2006 St. Jude Classic.

"I hit some nice shots early," Cook said. "I hit quality iron shots, much longer iron shots than these guys are hitting in, but I hit them all really well."

Champions Tour Insider Notes:

Couples is picking up right where he left off last year when it comes to excellence on the greens. Granted, he's only played three rounds, but Couples is No. 1 in putts per round (27.33). He's also the driving distance leader at 312.3 yards. That's 17.3 yards more than Hal Sutton.

But it's the putting that continues to grab Couples' attention. He credits it for his success during the short time he's been on the Champions Tour. He was top-ranked in putting with an average of 28.20 last year, just ahead of Corey Pavin's 28.53.

"I don't even know the last time I was even in the top 10 on the regular TOUR in putting," Couples said. "I know there were a few years where I putted pretty well. But that's the whole thing for anybody. You don't do well on any tour unless you putt well."

Champions Tour Insider Vartan Kupelian is a freelance contributor for PGATOUR.COM. His views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR.