‘He Got Me Pretty Good’: Sharing a Close Friendship Since College, Former Major Championship Winner Recalls Tale of Hilarious Prank on Him

Fred Couples has made many friends on and off the course during his famed golf career. But he also maintains a close camaraderie with his loved ones from his earliest days. The golfer chose the University of Houston as his alma mater and went to college together with popular sports broadcaster, Jim Nantz. The duo also share a hilarious story, which left Couples in despair during a golf tournament.

Fred Couples shares a hilarious story with Jim Nantz

The 63-year-old shared college with now-sports broadcaster, Jim Nantz, with whom he has a close friendship. The former, who is often considered a father figure for the next generation, narrated a tale once about an incident, where the golfer was pranked by the man behind the mic.

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“I let him use a couple of my clubs,” Couples regretted, which he later explained. “He was playing after a tournament. When I was done, he went out to play nine. And so the next day, he mixed his three wood with mine.”

But what happened when Couples entered the field for a tournament? “So as you know, I go through a wedge and I hit an eight and I take the head cover off, my three wood and it wasn’t a Boom Boom three wood but it was Jim’s. And I am looking at my caddie, I won’t swear, but I’m like, what’s going on here?”

However, unknown to Couples, he was being filmed during the whole prank. “This freaking guy. I tee off in 20 minutes and he exchanged my three wood. And he was sittin in the background. They were filming in it,” an animated Couples said, before conceding defeat. “He got me pretty good,” he later concluded.

How have Fred Couples and Jim Nantz progressed in their careers?

The two University of Houston alums have become star figures in their own circuits. Couples went on to turn professional in golf, before embarking on a fantastic career. A former World No. 1, he has won 64 professional tournaments, including the Masters Tournament in 1992, and the Players Championship in 1984 and 1996.

On the other hand, Nantz made a career out of working on telecasts of the National Football League and the NCAA Division I men’s basketball. The 63-year-old has also worked with the NBA and the PGA Tour for CBS Sports since the 1980s.

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