Freddie goes boom-boom

Fred Couples, one of the most popular players in Nissan history, has withdrawn from this week's event because of lingering back problems.

Couples had made 25 consecutive appearances at the tournament, with 12 top-10 finishes, including wins in 1990 and 1992.

Couples also withdrew from last week's Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

"This hurts a lot," said CBS announcer Jim Nantz, Couples' roommate at the University of Houston, of Boom-Boom having to skip Riviera. "This has always been a major for him. The way L.A. galleries took to him has to rank right up there in his career.
"All I can hope for is that he'll be back for the Masters."

Couples also won at Augusta National in 1992.