$2 MILLION PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP : Couples, Love, Cook Vie for Player of Year Honors

Fred Couples, Davis Love III and John Cook are obvious candidates for year-end honors as the PGA Tour winds to a climax next weekend in the season-ending $2 million Tour Championship.

“I’d say that if any one of the three wins the Tour Championship, he’ll probably be Player of the Year,” Corey Pavin said.

But it will be difficult, Pavin said. And he’s in a position to know. The little shot-maker went into the 1991 Tour Championship as the leading money-winner and salvaged that title against what he called “man for man, the best field in golf.”

And it isn’t quite so simple as a scramble between Couples, Love and Cook.

True, each has won three tournaments and more than $1 million this year. No one else has reached those levels.

But, with the title in the Texas Open this weekend still to be decided, U.S. Open winner Tom Kite and PGA champion Nick Price still hold outside chances.

A Kite victory in either Texas or the Tour championship would put him on the same $1 million, three-win level with Couples, Love and Cook. Price would need to win both.

There’s also the matter of which Player of the Year award is under discussion.

The PGA Player of the Year is decided on a points list, based on major-tournament victories, other tournament wins, money-winnings and scoring average. Pavin won that one last year.

The PGA Tour Player of the Year is decided on a vote of the touring pros. Couples won that one last year.

Also at stake are the Arnold Palmer Award for the leading money-winner, and the Vardon Trophy for the scoring leader.

With the Texas Open still to be decided, Couples leads the money race at $1,268,188 and is followed by Love at $1,157,630, Cook with $1,122,491, Price with $930,659 and Kite with $909,236.

In the Vardon Trophy race, Couples leads with 69.33, followed by Kite 69.62, Ray Floyd 69.65, Price 69.67 and Love 69.74.

While all three races are, at least mathematically, still up for grabs, Love said only one really remains to be decided.

“Of course, it will all come down to the Tour Championship, but it looks like the only one I have a chance in is the money,” Love said.

“I think Freddy has Player of the Year wrapped up.”

The difference is that Couples counts a major championship--the Masters--among his three victories.

Love has an almost-major, the Players Championship, in his victory total, while Cook has runner-up finishes in both the British Open and PGA in addition to his three titles.

“Right now, because he’s won a major, you have to think Freddy is well ahead of the rest of us,” Cook said.

But the famed Pinehurst No. 2 course could change all that, Cook said.

“When you think of Pinehurst and you’re thinking of a winner, Davis Love comes to mind,” Cook said.

“He knows the course better than anybody, he’s played it forever and he has the game for it.”

The field, consisting of only the top 30 money-winners of the year, will be completed at the conclusion of the Texas Open.

In addition to Couples, Love, Cook, Kite and Price, some other major figures assured of a place in the chase for a $360,000 winners’ check are Floyd, Pavin, Mark O’Meara, Jeff Sluman, Bruce Lietzke, Greg Norman, Chip Beck and David Frost.

The tournament will be televised nationally Thursday and Friday by ESPN, and by ABC on Saturday and Sunday.