GolfTalkCentral

Couples needles Tiger shocked Woods doesnt play Northern Trust

By Randall Mell
Feb 18, 2011 10:58 PM ET

LOS ANGELES – Fred Couples couldn’t resist needling Tiger Woods Friday after Couples seized the lead in the second round of the Northern Trust Open.

After posting a 5-under-par 66, Couples said he read a text from Woods while on his way to the media center to talk about his round.

“I texted him back when I was coming down here,” Couples said. “I said `I do love this place, but if you played here, you’d win 10 times.' He didn’t send me too polite a text after that.”

Woods has played the Northern Trust Open (L.A. Open) 11 times, 10 times at Riviera Country Club, but he’s never won it. He was second when it was played at Valencia Country Club in ’98 and tied for second when it returned to Riviera Country Club in ’99.

“I’m shocked that he doesn’t play here,” Couples said. “But I guess he doesn’t play well here, which I don’t know why. If I can play well here, any human being in the world can play well here.”