Age-defying Couples seizes share of Masters lead

Fred Couples, bidding to become the oldest champion in major golf history at age 52, fired a five-under par 67 on Friday to share the clubhouse lead during the second round of the 76th Masters.

But World No. 2 Rory McIlroy and two stars without a major title, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood, were only one stroke off the pace and among a host of challengers as the final groups made their way around Augusta National.

Couples, who won his only major title 20 years ago at the Masters, stood atop the leaderboard alongside fellow American Jason Dufner, last year's PGA Championship runner-up, at five-under par 139 for 36 holes.

"It was a very, very magical day," Couples said. "I'm going to be right there with everybody on the weekend."

Reigning US Open champion McIlroy of Northern Ireland, World No. 3 Westwood of England, 2010 British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, Spain's Garcia and American Bubba Watson all shared second in the clubhouse at 140.

"I can't pay much attention to them. I've got to worry about my own game," Couples said. "If I come out here and play my game the best I can, I'll have a shot."

The oldest champion in major golf history was Julius Boros, who was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship. The oldest winner in Masters history was Jack Nicklaus, who won his 18th and final major crown at age 46 at the 1986 Masters.

Couples, playing in his 28th Masters, led after the first round in 2010 and settled for sixth. He admitted it's "a little bizarre" to see his name atop the leaderboard.

Couples opened with bogeys at the first and third holes and birdied the par-3 third only to bogey the par-3 sixth. But he closed the front nine with three birdies in a row, birdied the par-5 15th, par-3 16th and par-4 18th.

"I want to be competitive and I feel like I'm very competitive," Couples said. "This is my favorite place in the world to play. I know every inch of the course. If you have that, you're going to save shots."

Tiger Woods, the 14-time major winner coming off a victory two weeks ago at Bay Hill that snapped a 28-month win drought, was one-over for the day and the tournament after the front nine.

England's World No. 1 Luke Donald, seeking his first major title, was two-over on the day and five-over for the event, in danger of missing the cut to the low 44 and ties plus anyone within 10 strokes of the lead..

Dufner, who stumbled in the last holes at the PGA last August and lost a playoff, followed birdies at the par-5 second and third with a double bogey at the fourth but birdied the par-5 13th and 15th and 16 to share the lead.

"I had some really nice rounds at PGA. Didn't quite work but carried over," Dufner said. "It gave me confidence that I can compete and play at a high level."

Dufner is trying to do what McIlroy did last year, recover from throwing away a major as McIlroy did in the last nine holes at Augusta with a nightmare finish, and win the next major he played, the US Open.

But he will have to fight off McIlroy, who followed a 71 with a 69 Friday that included a 40-footer for birdie at the fourth.

"I drove the ball a lot better which was the key for me," McIlroy said. "I was able to attack the pins a lot more. I just felt a lot more comfortable and could be more aggressive."

McIlroy, who was two when Couples won the Masters, likes where he stands.

"I'm right where I want to be," he said. "I put myself in position to have a chance to win this tournament again."

Westwood and Garcia would each like to win their first Major after years of frustration and near misses.

Westwood, seeking his first major title in 55 attempts, double bogeyed the 18th hole Friday to squander the lead, taking a 73 after leading through 18 holes with a 67. He missed putts of four and eight feet at the last to stumble.

"Double at the last was a disappointing way to finish," Westwood said. "I'm in a good position. I'm not far off the lead going into the weekend. I'm right where I want to be. I get a few breaks and I will be right in there."

Westwood opened with 10 pars and answered a bogey on a long uphill putt at the 11th with a four-foot birdie at the tricky par-3 12th. A birdie at the par-5 15th left him in the lead before his last-hole disaster.

"If you get slightly out of position on this course, it can punish you. I hit the ball well all day. It was a day to be patient out there."

Garcia birdied four of the first eight holes then had two birdies and two bogeys the rest of the way as he tries to win a first major at age 32.

Three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson fired a 68 to stand on 142 and said greens were not as fast as usual but warned weekend sun could change that.

"They are not Augusta-esque. If they become Augusta-esque on the weekend, it's going to be exciting," he said. "If not, there could be 20 players bunched together. It's going to be up to the conditions to separate some players."

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