Fred Couples commits to 2026 Sanford International
Sept. 3, 2026
Contact:
Paul Heinert
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 / paul.heinert@sanfordhealth.org
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Former Masters champion Fred Couples has officially committed to competing in the 2026 Sanford International. The World Golf Hall of Fame member returns to the tournament for the first time since 2022, taking place Sept. 7-13 at Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Couples, a native of Seattle, Washington, is a former Charles Schwab Cup champion (2013) and has 14 career victories on the PGA TOUR Champions.
The winner of the 1992 Masters Tournament, Couples was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013. He joins a field of top-tier players already announced for this year’s event, including Sanford International rookies Zach Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Justin Leonard and Ben Crane.
The field also features three additional World Golf Hall of Fame members in Bernhard Langer, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen – who returns as the 2025 defending champion – along with former Sanford International champions Steve Stricker, Rocco Mediate, Darren Clarke and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Several of the current top 10 players in the Schwab Cup Standings are committed to play, including Boo Weekley, George McNeill, Els, and Clarke. Fan favorite John Daly is also set to make an appearance, alongside a deep group of additional major champions, including Angel Cabrera, David Duval and Y.E. Yang.
The 2026 Sanford International kicks off the Sprint to St. Louis, a new six-event points-based competition spanning the final five events of the 2026 regular season and the first Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs event. The three highest Charles Schwab Cup Points earners among the final five regular-season events will be deemed Finalists for the Sprint to St. Louis presented by Compliance Solutions. The three Finalists will head to the Stifel Charity Classic in St. Louis, Missouri, with a chance to win the contest. The Finalist with the best tournament finish at the Stifel Charity Classic will win the $200,000 prize.
Tickets to the Sanford International, including access to watch the Greats of the Game exhibition, are on sale now at sanfordinternational.com.
Previous Sanford International Winners
2025 – Retief Goosen (-13)
2024 – Steve Stricker (-8)
2023 – Steve Stricker (-16)
2022 – Steve Stricker (-14)
2021 – Darren Clarke (-12)
2020 – Miguel Angel Jimenez (-14)
2019 – Rocco Mediate (-9)
2018 – Steve Stricker (-13)
About the Sanford International
The Sanford International, a PGA TOUR Champions event contested in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will be played at Minnehaha Country Club the week of September 7-13, featuring a $2.2 million purse. In its ninth year, the Sanford International will continue to focus on charitable giving and making a lasting impact in Sioux Falls. For more information about the tournament, please visit sanfordinternational.com. You can also follow the tournament on social media via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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