Couples tired of talk about Tiger's private life

• By Ryan Ballengee
• Jun 6, 2012 8:49 PM ET

Fred Couples believes it is time for critics of Tiger Woods' personal affairs to move on from the revelations about the world No. 4 after Thanksgiving 2009.

"In my opinion, that's all passed, and now he's a golfer, and he's starting to win again," Couples said at the Regions Tradition on Wednesday, according to the Birmingham News.

Couples believes Woods' extramarital affairs were wrong, but not an affront to the game of golf.

"Did he make a mistake? Hell, yeah, he made a huge mistake," he said. "But did he ruin the game that I play? No. I wish he never would've done that. He might have 100 wins by now, and he would still be picked on."

Couples played with Woods for the first two days of last week's Memorial Tournament. The Presidents Cup captain said he texted Woods on Friday night, encouraging him to sink a few more putts to match his tee-to-green dominance at Muirfield Village GC.

The victory was the 73rd of Woods' career and his second this season. While Couples suggested Woods could win up to five times this season, any expectation of Woods winning that often well into the future, however, is absurd.

"It's hard to do something 20 straight years," he said. "I sit and laugh when I hear people talk about him, like he should win six to eight times every year."