Tiger Woods enthralled by Fred Couples’ SAS Championship win, calls Justin Thomas

In the thick of the NFL season and baseball’s postseason, Tiger Woods was riveted by another sporting event last Sunday. 

The PGA Tour Champions’ SAS Championship. 

Fred Couples put on a clinic in the final round, carding a dozen birdies en route to a 12-under 60 that notched him his first victory in over five years.

Justin Thomas, Woods’ good friend, scheduled his Sunday practice session around the Buffalo Bills-Kansas City Cheifs game because he “couldn’t wait to watch” Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes go head-to-head again. 

However, during the game, Thomas’ phone rang — and it was Woods. 

“I think (Couples) was on 17 or 18 and Tiger called me and he’s like, ‘Are you watching this?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, pretty good game.’ He’s like, ‘No, Freddie’s 11 under and he’s playing 18,'” Thomas said Wednesday at the CJ Cup. 

Thomas was happy Couples was winning, but he and Woods were not on the same page. 

“Last I looked he was like 9 or 10 under, he was winning by a million,” Thomas said. “No offense to Fred, love him to death, but he was going to win. I was more interested in watching the football game. So I turned it on and watched (Couples) stripe it off [the] 18 tee, stiff an iron shot and make the putt.”

Though Thomas wasn’t glued to the television during Couples’ victory like Woods was, Thomas still made sure to give the 1992 Masters winner a congratulatory call.

“Talked to (Couples) some after,” Thomas said. He jokes this is the best putting week of his life. We kept saying to him, ‘You keep playing like that, you’ll be just fine at the Masters next year, you’ll be able to start playing Tour events again.’ He’s the best. He’s so fun to be around and just joke with. I was — I mean, it’s pretty cool to do what he did at what, 63 years old? I should say 63 years young. We’re all happy for him.”