Couples to Work on Local Project

Fred Couples has been involved in more than the Nissan Open this week.

He has just been named golf consultant for a major development project in Simi Valley, which involves two new championship courses among the canyons and creeks in the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains, about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Couples, who lives in Santa Barbara, will work closely with architect Pete Dye to build two world-class courses. One is scheduled to open in October, the other next January.

Couples’ deal with developer Landmark National makes him a minority owner, along with Ross Perot Jr. The deal has not yet been announced and Couples seemed taken aback when asked about it after Friday’s round, a five-under 66.

This is not Couples’ first foray into the golf-course design business. Other courses he has been involved with include the Plantation in Indio, the Palms in La Quinta, and Talega, due to open in October, in San Clemente.

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Couples’ round included an unusual birdie on the 434-yard third hole. His second shot landed right on top of playing partner Nick Price’s ball, which was about five feet from the pin. Price’s ball went flying across the green, but Couples’ ball stuck. Price got to replace his ball and both players made birdie threes. Couples is five shots off the lead.

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There were seven former Bruin golfers playing Friday, including Tom Pernice Jr., who was three off the lead.

But the shot of the day belonged to a former Trojan, Craig Stadler, who got a hole in one on the 157-yard sixth hole with a seven-iron. He aced the same hole in the third round of this tournament in 1995. Stadler finished with a 69 for a 141 total.

Another former Bruin is B.J. Schlagenhauf, one of four qualifiers in the tournament. He made the field by shooting a 68, six under, at the Los Serranos South Course in Chino Hills on Tuesday. He had a 70 on Thursday but a 73 on Friday and missed the cut by two shots.

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Casey Martin, who birdied his last hole Thursday at dusk, finished during the daylight Friday and again birdied the closing hole.

Martin shot a two-under 70 and is three under after 36 holes, which means he has made his second cut in four PGA Tour events.

“I think I’m getting my feet on the ground,” Martin said. “I sure hope so, anyway. I’m hitting it so well, I think good things are going to happen.”

Martin didn’t play last week at the Buick Invitational, but he is playing at Tucson next week. Martin said he needed to take last week off.

“I was hurting,” he said of the circulatory problem that makes it painful for him to walk. “I’m better now, a little bit.”

Martin drew a large media contingent when he made his PGA Tour debut riding a golf cart at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, but only one reporter followed him Friday. He said he understands.

“I’m not the story right now,” he said. “Tiger [Woods] is.”

And the cart?

“If I play well, the cart issue will fade away. Maybe.”

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Staff writer Thomas Bonk contributed to this story.