Newport Beach resident Fred Couples excited to return to Hoag Classic golf tournament

Fred Couples was always a fan favorite at the Toshiba Classic on the PGA Tour Champions in Newport Beach, even before he bought a house there in 2015.

Couples won the tournament at Newport Beach Country Club in 2010 and 2014. Now, Couples, 59, is gearing up for the rebranded Hoag Classic, a three-day tournament that runs Friday through March 10.

Couples withdrew from last year’s tournament because of back pain, but he appears ready to go this year for the 24th annual tournament. In six previous appearances, he also has a runner-up finish and two fifth-place finishes.

“The Hoag Classic is just [on] a nice golf course,” said Couples, who is in his ninth year playing PGA Tour Champions events and has 13 tournament victories in that time. “The first time I played it, I felt comfortable and I live about a mile from the course. It’s tricky and there are a few holes I play really well and there are a few holes that I stink on. I love the course, the style and the greens.”

Couples will be one of the favorites in the Hoag Classic, which has a total purse of $1.8 million and a first-place prize of $270,000. The field also includes fan favorite John Daly and Jay Haas, who won the Toshiba Classic in 2007 and 2016, as well as Mark O’Meara, Tom Kite and 2008 winner Bernhard Langer.

Though the tournament has a different name, many of the events of tournament week remain familiar. Tuesday is the Breakfast with a Champion event at Newport Beach Country Club. Darren Clarke, making his first appearance at the tournament, is the guest of honor.

The Classic pro-am takes place Wednesday and Thursday, before the first day of the professional tournament on Friday.

Saturday is Military Appreciation Day, and past and current members of the military will get in free and receive complimentary food and beverage vouchers.

The tournament’s final day, March 10, is Student Day, when students 18 and younger receive free admission.

One highlight this year should be the 17th hole, said Hoag Classic Executive Director Jeff Purser.

“We’re playing the shorter tees, the white tees only on the 17th hole, and we’re trying to create some excitement there,” Purser said. “It’s a great hole, a par-three over water. … Hopefully we’ll see some great shots.”

The event is the only professional golf tournament in Orange County, and Southern California golfers relish the chance to compete.

Ken Tanigawa, 51, grew up in Los Angeles and went to UCLA. He earned PGA Tour Champions Rookie of the Year honors last year.

“I enjoy the course and I love the area,” said Tanigawa, who tied for 33rd last year at the Toshiba Classic. “I just like being in the Newport Beach area and just being in Southern California. It’s just that comfy feeling of being back in your old stomping grounds.”

Couples can relate, even though it’s been awhile since he first won the tournament in 2010. That was in his first year on the PGA Tour Champions. In the nine years since, the World Golf Hall of Fame member has learned a thing or two.

“If you don’t have a really good Friday in a 54-hole event, you are kind of toast,” he said. “It doesn’t mean any of us try harder on Friday or we play better on Friday, but other than that it is really golf and you have to beat the best players. If you struggle on Friday, your week is pretty much gone.”

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo