FRED COUPLES ended a two-year victory drought to shoot the best ever closing round in the Players' Championship and claim a four-stroke victory at Ponte Vedre Beach in Florida yesterday.

Couples claimed his second triumph in the US PGA Tour's richest event - he won in 1984 as a 24-year-old - after carding an eight-under-par 64 in the final round.

He finished on an 18-under 270 aggregate to earn the £420,000 winners' cheque, ahead of fellow American Tommy Tolles - the overnight leader with a two stroke advantage - and Scotland's Colin Montgomerie after the pair tied for second on 274.

"It was the best round of golf I've played in a long, long time," admitted the 26-year-old American. I enjoyed it.

"I made a couple putts. But when I missed a two-footer on 11, I said enough of this."