Couple's first seniors win as he holds off charging Armour

FROM THE PGA.COM WEBSITE
Fred Couples gave the attention-starved US Champions Tour a big boost.
The 50-year-old star won the ACE Group Classic on Sunday for his first victory on the 50-and-over tour, holding off Tommy Armour III by a stroke.
Couples closed with an 8-under 64 to finish at 17-under 199 at The Quarry, while Armour -- making his Champions Tour debut -- matched the tour record for lowest score in relation to par with an 11-under 61.
Couples made a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 17 and a tap-in par on 18 to wrap his first official victory since the US PGA Tour's 2003 Shell Houston Open.
"That's a long time," Couples said. "I am very excited that I won and I'll keep trying to win out here. I have a couple chances on the US PGA Tour to make the cut. That's really not the idea of fun."
Couples and Armour, friends since college, had some fun earlier in the week, exchanging text messages.
"I wasn't all that thrilled about the text when he was 11 under par after 53 holes," Couples said.
Armour started his charge with an eagle on the par-5 seventh, and birdied Nos. 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17.
"I wish he would've shot two shots higher," Armour joked about Couples.
Armour tied Couples with the birdie on No. 17.
"I hit an iron on the 15th green and I looked at the leaderboard and I was tied and seriously was shocked," Couples said.
After the second round was halted due to darkness Saturday night, Couples came back to play five holes Sunday morning to complete a 67 and take a two-stroke lead over Dan Forsman. Couples birdied four of the first five holes in the final round to push his advantage to five strokes -- six over Armour.
"I thought that would easily be enough," Couples said.
Armour's 11-under round tied Walter Hall (2002 AT&T Canada Senior Open) and Tom Purtzer (2004 Toshiba Senior Classic) for the lowest in tour history.
"Birdied half of them and then one more," said Armour, who made the decision to move to the Champions Tour this year after undergoing back surgery last June.
Armour said he never looked at the leaderboard, but had a number in mind.
"I figured 15 under was as high as he was going to shoot, so I figured I had to get below 15, and I did, but he's a pretty awesome player."
Couples was in contention in his Champions Tour debut last month in Hawaii, but Tom Watson birdied the last two holes to beat him by a stroke.
"I got to watch that," said Couples, who was in the same group as Watson. "That was easier, I think even easier to take."
Couples earned $240,000.
Scott Hoch, the 2008 champion, shot a 69 to finish third at 9 under. Bernhard Langer and Mike Goodes tied for fourth at 8 under. They also shot 69s.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
199 Fred Couples 68 67 64
200 Tommy Armour III 69 70 61
207 Scott Hoch 70 68 69
208 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 73 66 69, Mike Goodes 71 68 69
209 Dan Forsman 68 69 72, Ronnie Black 69 69 71
212 Joey Sindelar 73 70 69, David Frost (Rsa) 73 70 69, Hal Sutton 73 70 69
213 Loren Roberts 72 69 72, Tom Kite 70 74 69, Nick Price (Zim) 70 70 73, Peter Senior (Aus) 71 71 71, Eduardo Romero (Arg) 72 70 71, Larry Mize 71 73 69
214 Joe Ozaki (Jpn) 72 68 74, John Harris 73 72 69, Olin Browne 70 73 71, Bob Tway 76 68 70
215 Paul Azinger 71 74 70, Walter Hall 72 73 70, Fred Funk 70 73 72, Jay Haas 75 70 70, Bobby Wadkins 74 72 69
216 Bruce Fleisher 73 71 72, Gil Morgan 73 73 70, John Cook 73 70 73, Mike Reid 77 71 68, Mark McNulty (Irl) 72 72 72
217 Tom Jenkins 75 71 71, Des Smyth (Irl) 71 76 70, Craig Stadler 72 75 70, Jeff Sluman 74 69 74, Keith Fergus 75 73 69, Dana Quigley 71 76 70, Don Pooley 71 73 73
218 Steve Haskins 72 74 72, Fulton Allem (Rsa) 69 73 76, Peter Jacobsen 70 76 72, Tom Purtzer 76 71 71, Hale Irwin 73 71 74, Wayne Levi 73 74 71
219 Phil Blackmar 74 71 74, Bruce Vaughan 73 73 73, Ian Woosnam (Wal) 74 73 72, Bob Gilder 75 73 71, Tim Simpson 75 75 69
220 Gene Jones 72 72 76, Robin Freeman 81 69 70
221 D A Weibring 78 74 69, Russ Cochran 71 75 75, Morris Hatalsky 78 72 71, David Eger 77 72 72
222 Andy Bean 74 73 75, R.W. Eaks 73 77 72, Mark Wiebe 73 77 72, Scott Simpson 80 71 71
223 Robert L Thompson 73 78 72, Fuzzy Zoeller 75 76 72, Blaine McCallister 76 74 73
224 Mark James (Eng) 72 78 74
225 Bruce Lietzke 77 73 75
226 Graham Marsh (Aus) 75 77 74, Mike Hulbert 77 77 72, Gary Koch 79 78 69
227 Gary Player (Rsa) 77 78 72, Jay Sigel 76 77 74, Ben Crenshaw 76 75 76, Terry Burke 78 74 75
228 Bruce Summerhays 77 75 76, Curtis Strange 72 77 79, Larry Nelson 81 69 78
229 Allen Doyle 76 80 73
231 Jim Colbert 75 82 74, Jim Roy 78 77 76
234 Lanny Wadkins 81 77 76, Isao Aoki (Jpn) 77 79 78
236 Lee Trevino 82 77 77
240 J.C Snead 82 81 77