Alison Lee gratefully acknowledges Fred Couples as biggest supporter amid tough times

A couple of months ago, Alison Lee credited her newly developed friendship with Fred Couples as a significant positive influence in her turnaround in the late season.

Lee struggled to secure a top-ten finish in 12 straight events until the BMW Ladies Championship in October. Afterward, she went on to achieve three back-to-back runner-up finishes.

Lee shares a special bond with the veteran Fred Couples. The unusual friendship began last year at the Bеrеnbеrg Invitational Pro-Am in Sеptеmbеr, where they played 18 holes together. He was so impressed by Lee's game that he reached out to her later and texted her, appreciating her skills. The 28-year-old golfer was going through a lean patch at that time, and she didn't take his appreciation seriously.

During the CME Group Tour Championship last November, she explained how her unique friendship with a PGA Tour veteran had made an impact on her game. She said:

"We have been texting back and forth the last couple of months. Every single day, you're so good at golf. You need to believe it. I was like, 'Oh, Freddy, it's fine. I'm okay. I don't know what you're talking about.'

"He's honestly been like the biggest supporter and my No. 1 fan over the last couple of months, starting kind of in Arkansas, China. Like he just was hammering into me, 'You need to believe. You're a good player. You need to go out there and believe you're the shit, and you can do it.'"

She said that there were too many messages at one point, but the belief he instilled made a positive impact on her game.

"Finally, in Korea, I slowly started to believe it," she added. "I have read the messages, and I'm like going to get emotional because he's been so supportive. I mean, to see someone like that, like a legend like that, watch me play golf and tell me how good I am, it's surreal to think that he's telling me how good I am. For the longest time, like I said, I didn't believe it myself. So, yeah."

She revealed that Couples referred to her as 'Mrs. Monster' and was her biggest fan lately. As she gradually started opening up to him, she explained why she was struggling with her performance.

"He's been like a really great mentor to me over the last month and hammering a lot of positive energy and confidence," she added.

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How did Alison Lee perform in the 2023 season?

Here's a look at Alison Lee's performance in the LPGA Tour 2023 season:

• LPGA Drive-On Championship: T34
• DIO Implant LA Open: T65
• The Chevron Championship: CUT
• JM Eagle LA Championship: T9
• Cognizant Founders Cup: T31
• Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play: 9
• Mizuho Americas Open: T33
• Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give: T29
• KPMG Women's PGA Championship: T52
• U.S. Women's Open: WDC
• Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational: T13
• The Amundi Evian Championship: T20
• FREED GROUP Women's Scottish Open: T66
• AIG Women's Open: T11
• CPKC Women's Open: T41
• Portland Classic: CUT
• Walmart NW Arkansas Championship: T34
• Buick LPGA Shanghai: T31
• BMW Ladies Championship: 2
• The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican: T2
• CME Group Tour Championship: T2