Couples, Dufner share Masters lead at halfway point

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Even though it’s the 20th anniversary of his Masters victory, Fred Couples doesn’t need to think back all those years to find the last time he played this well at Augusta National Golf Club.

Couples shot 5-under-par 139 through two rounds for the second consecutive year at the Masters, but unlike last year, he isn’t trailing Rory McIlroy by five shots heading into the third round.

Now, he’s leading.

The 52-year-old played the final 12 holes of his second round at 5 under Friday to head into the weekend tied for first place with Jason Dufner.

“It’s nice to be in the mix,” Couples said. “This course brings out great players. I consider myself to be a little past where I feel really comfortable with leading a major at the time.”

Five players, all ranked in the top 30 in the world, are within one shot of the leaders. That chase group includes the second- and third-ranked players in the world – McIlroy and Lee Westwood.

To illustrate just how many players are still in the hunt, 30 players are within five shots of the lead. That group includes nine former major champions. Thanks to the Masters cut rule allowing any player within 10 shots of the lead to play into the weekend, 63 players – the most since Couples’ win in 1992 – made the cut.

“Five shots is not much in a major,” said Padraig Harrington, who is five strokes back of the lead. “Obviously, there’s a lot of players. Whoever is going to win this tournament is going to have to play well on the weekend.”

Couples found his putter on No. 7, finally breaking free from even par with a birdie, and followed it with birdies on the next two holes, including one from 35 feet on No. 9. He also made birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 to move into a share for the lead at the time.

“I feel like I’m very young when I get here,” said Couples, who would eclipse Jack Nicklaus as the oldest Masters champion by six years if he wins this weekend.

Co-leader Dufner survived an early double-bogey on No. 4 to advance back up the leaderboard and eventually hold the lead by himself for a short time.

Dufner birdied Nos. 13, 14 and 16 to take the solo lead at 6 under, making him the third player following Henrik Stenson and Westwood to post that number. A bogey on the final hole brought him back to 5 under, which Couples later matched.

Dufner nearly won the last major championship contested in Georgia, but he collapsed down the stretch at the Atlanta Athletic Club in August and eventually lost in a playoff to Keegan Bradley at the PGA Championship.

“I had some really nice rounds at PGA,” Dufner said. “It didn’t quite work out but carried over, I think, into this year. It gave me confidence that I can compete and play at a high level out here and do really nice things.”

McIlroy and Westwood highlight a star-studded group one shot back.

Westwood, the first-round leader, stayed in front for most of his second round. He began with 10 pars, and his consistency helped him fend off Dufner and Peter Hanson, both of whom shared the lead at some point during Westwood’s round. But as Stenson did Thursday and Dufner did later on Friday, the leader suffered misfortune at No. 18.

Westwood double-bogeyed the final hole to fall back into a tie for second place. Stenson carded an eight on the par-4 18th hole in the first round to fall from the lead.

Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson are also at 4 under.

Garcia was tripped up by No. 18, as well, costing him a chance to share the lead with Couples and Dufner.

Oosthuizen overcame a double-bogey on the par-5 second hole to finish with three birdies in his final five holes.

Watson also closed strong, making three birdies in his final six holes.

Paul Lawrie, Miguel Angel Jiminez and Matt Kuchar remain two shots back of the lead at 3 under, while Phil Mickelson, Nick Watney and Vijay Singh are in the group three back of the lead.