Captain of the PGA's 2009 U.S. Presidents Cup Team, Fred Couples Takes on the Challenge Like a Champ

For long-time PGA golf champion Fred Couples, few things are more satisfying than hitting a tee shot on a par three and sticking it inches from the pin during a tough tournament round. What is equally fulfilling is Couples’ ability to travel long distances and land minutes from the course thanks to his Flight Options fractional share in a Hawker 400XP. Next to his clubs, his jet might be the best piece of hardware he’s got, and just like his favorite putter, it’s something that he’s come to depend on for more than 15 years.

If facing an intense 2009 PGA TOUR schedule with one grueling four-day tournament after another wasn’t enough, Couples, as this year’s Captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup Team, finds himself juggling numerous added responsibilities including media appearances and organizational demands. It’s a particularly great honor, which he is talking very seriously. The Presidents Cup competition consists of 34 matches played between the U.S. Team and the International Team captained this year by Greg Norman. It’s a great opportunity to give back, says Couples, because all net proceeds go to charities, which the players and team captains designate. 

Couples is looking forward to the challenge. “It should be a lot of fun,” he says. Certainly knowing that his Flight Options jet is only a phone call away will make logistical demands a lot easier and virtually stress-free. 

STRESS RELIEVER
Stress is a decisive concern for Couples. Every business traveler realizes that stress can put you off your game. For a professional golfer, that’s definitely the case. Couples found that commercial flights could be as fatiguing as the tournaments he was playing, wearing down his body, mind and spirit, and raising his score. He points out that only a few extra strokes can mean the difference between winning and scoring as far down as tenth.

Before owning his Flight Options fractional share, Couples would depart by airline on a Monday, hopefully arriving in time for a practice round on Tuesday, hop on a return flight late after his final round the following Sunday, and then wake up exhausted the next day only to start the cycle again. Commercial flights rarely ran on his timetable, and tournament play wasn’t in sync with airlines schedules. Then, if he missed the Friday cut, he wasn’t certain of getting on a flight at all. In addition, flying commercially often meant multiple connections, long layovers, and lengthy road trips. Figuring out how to get home, he says, “was sometimes more important in my mind than even worrying about Sunday's round.” And even if his flights arrived on schedule, there were times when his golf bag did not. He recalls landing in Miami only to learn his clubs were in Chicago. “They’re the tools of the trade, and I always said if I lost my luggage, that's okay, but I don't ever want to lose my golf clubs.”

A BIG WINNER
Life is quite different with Flight Options. The relationship is uplifting and the customized Flight Options service fits him to a tee, says Couples. Now he can focus on golf, not on travel. Unlike the airlines, Flight Options treats his clubs like prized assets. In addition, his Hawker 400XP makes getting to the course as easy as a chip shot onto the green. “I can leave [Tuesday morning] and still get a practice round in just by landing close to the golf course. That’s a very big deal,” he says. “Every hour saved certainly helps.” Couples points out that a business aircraft can land at more than 5,000 airfields around the country and there is usually one very close to the Tour courses. Whenever he’s done playing, his jet is there waiting for him. “You finish your round, get on the plane and go.” It is a huge stress reliever, he says. Plus, with a local airport just four miles from his residence in Palm Springs, he practically lands in his own backyard rather than two-and-a-half hours away at the nearest commercial airport.

When Couples was living in Dallas, the small cabin Hawker 400XP with its 1,600-statute mile range was the perfect fit. “I could get to any Tour event nonstop,” he points out. Now he lives on the West Coast, and even though the nonstop range will take him only halfway across the country, Couples, who suffers from chronic back problems, sees no reason to invest in a larger, coast-to-coast range aircraft. The brief refueling stop on a cross-country trip is a welcome respite, he says. “It's actually good to stop, move around for 20 or 25 minutes, and really stretch my back.”

BEST OPTION IS FLIGHT OPTIONS
As a Flight Options fractional shareowner, Couples also has the flexibility to exchange hours and select a larger plane for specific flights when he needs to. It’s a handy option when he’s flying with a group of friends or for extra space when intense back pain occasionally requires that he make the trip lying comfortably on an airborne couch.

Couples, who counts himself among the earliest Flight Options clients, has been flying about 100 hours annually since he started in the program. He admits, however, that he was skeptical at first and hesitant to purchase a fractional share. Now, after a decade and a half, he’s got the opposite problem. “I don't know how I'm going to stop. It's a huge benefit,” he says and he’s counting on his fractional share to keep him in the game for years to come. “If my back feels better longer, I can continue to play on the PGA Tour or the Champions Tour,” says Couples. “It’s basically taking wear and tear off my body. I drive right to the plane, and I don’t have to lift a thing,” he says, grateful for the service the pilots provide.

ENRICHING EXPERIENCE
Couples has been completely satisfied with Flight Options and the Hawker 400XP, but next year he’s considering a move to an Embraer Phenom 300. Flight Options has ordered 100 of the brand new jets, which offer greater economy, speed, and range together with enhanced comfort. With the new plane, “I can fly from Los Angeles to Chicago, or from Los Angeles to Dallas [nonstop] with no problem, so now my life will be set.”

No doubt, the plane will make the whole experience even more enjoyable. “It just makes life so much easier,” he emphasizes. “Every hour is valuable, and that's basically why people use these planes,” he adds, pointing out that, as in any other business, the flexibility to take advantage of new opportunities can yield substantial returns. Is it expensive? “Not for what I do” It's not about luxury either, he emphasizes. “It's all about getting where I need to go and getting home when I need to. If you're making money and you're making more because you're using [your own business aircraft], then it all pays for itself,” he says.