Notebook: What makes Freddy so popular?

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- What is it that makes Fred Couples one of the most popular players to follow on the PGA TOUR?

Fred Couples (Getty Images)

After Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and maybe John Daly, Couples is arguably the active player with the most fans. They followed him in droves on Saturday at the Wachovia Championship and clamored for his autograph after he shot 69 in the third round.

Let's ask the man himself.

"It's a great question. I don't know. I'm glad they (follow me). It's not much fun playing in front of 10 people, I can tell you that," said Couples, who is tied for eighth and seven strokes off the pace entering Sunday's final round.

Is it his charisma and laid-back personality? His impressive resume, which features 15 TOUR wins including one Masters and two PLAYERS Championships? His everyman stature but ability to hit long drives, which earned him the nickname "Boom Boom?"

"I think people like to come out and watch the tournaments and they find their favorite players," Couples said. "I played well for a long time, and I think people rally behind certain players, and I feel like I'm one of them and it's a nice feeling."

This is just Couples' second appearance before the Charlotte fans. He tied for 34th in 2003 but came into this year's event at Quail Hollow energized, with two top-10 finishes on his resume. The 2009 U.S. Presidents Cup captain already plans a return visit next year.

"I'm 49 next year (so) I'll come back and play one more time (here)," said Couples, who turns 50 and becomes eligible for the Champions Tour in 2009.

A nasty bug

Four weeks ago, a sore throat and fever forced Adam Scott to withdraw from the Shell Houston Open, where he was the defending champion and held the first-round lead.

A sore throat doesn't sound so bad, right? Nothing some antibiotics and a little rest can't cure.

But Scott didn't have your average case of strep or a bad cold. He fought a throat infection that impaired his breathing and made it nearly impossible to eat for several days in early April.

"It's kind of nasty, but my throat was just all blisters back there," Scott said. "They gave me a steroid shot to open my throat back up. It was closed over."

Scott recovered enough to tie for 25th in the Masters the following week. He then flew to Australia for a week but was practicing and playing so well there that Scott came back early for the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. In a serendipitous twist, he won that in a three-hole playoff over Ryan Moore.

"I (planned to go) home for two weeks but I was playing so good," Scott said, joking that it's pointless to waste a hot streak playing with friends at home.

"(My returning early is) a win-win for them because they keep their money and if they bet on me, they win money." .

After an all-nighter following his victory Sunday, it took Scott a few days to recover his golf game at the Wachovia Championship. He barely made the cut after rounds of 72 and 73 but shot 66 on moving day and is now tied for 11th.

Caddy for a Caddie

The manufacturer's suggested retail price for Tony Navarro's brand new set of wheels is $99,160, roughly the cost of about 17 golf carts.

Tony Navarro (Getty Images)

Navarro, Scott's caddie, won a 2008 Cadillac XLR-V when his boss captured the title at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. EDS gave him the car as part of its "Caddy for a Caddie" promotion. They even took care of shipping it to his house in Moline, Ill.

"My wife is taking delivery of it today. I really only got a chance to look at it for a couple of minutes so I'm anxious to get home," Navarro said. "It's a pretty special gift."

Navarro caddied for Greg Norman -- Scott's boyhood idol -- during 23 of his 87 wins around the world, including the 1993 British Open Championship. After a 12-year relationship with the Shark, Navarro is no stranger to big wins.

"Very honestly, I was never even thinking about the car, as we try not to think about any of the spoils that come with a win while you are out there," he said. "But that night and the next day it was weighing pretty heavy on my mind what I had coming."

He's gotten "stick," as he put it, from the rest of the caddies but reminded them they'll have an opportunity to win a new ride next year. Fans also caught wind of the prize so he's been getting asked as many questions as his popular employer.

"It's (so) unique and I'm hearing a lot about it out of the gallery. On every hole, someone is asking me, 'How's the Cadillac?'" Navarro said.

Teach for America

The crowd at the Wachovia Championship roared loudly off in the distance, the sound echoing across the grounds to the spot where 25 students and 25 teachers stood in front of the Quail Hollow clubhouse. The kids all turned in the direction of the sound, anxious to get out there and catch their favorite golfers on the course.

First, though, they got a special treat as they met with North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole as part of a day's worth of activities for teachers and students from Teach for America. Each teacher selected one of their top pupils to take a Saturday field trip to Discovery Place (a local science museum) and the golf tournament.

Teach for America is the primary beneficiary of the Wachovia Championship, which has donated $5 million to the organization from 2003-2007. The money supports Teach for America's goal of eliminating educational inequity in the country by enlisting a strong corps of recent college graduates to teach for two years in low income schools.

"I'm a great believer in Teach for America. I've met with many of the young (teachers) in the past and even gave a floor speech (about the organization)," Senator Dole (R-N.C.) said. She and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) recently joined forces to urge their fellow senators to increase funding for the program.

"Wachovia has done a tremendous job by giving proceeds from this tournament to Teach for America," she said. "They've helped over 170,000 young people and 1,000 teachers."

After meeting the students and teachers, Senator Dole planned to catch some golf like the youngsters. She was elected to the Senate in 2002 and is up for re-election this year so she normally does not have much time to watch the PGA TOUR.

"Right now I have a few other things going on," she said with a laugh. "But North Carolina is such a great golf state and I'm a strong supporter."