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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Fred Couples celebrated after finishing his second-best round ever at the Masters. He’s tied with Jason Dufner.

AUGUSTA, Ga. » Fred Couples turned back the clock on his younger Masters rivals on Friday, firing a 5-under-par 67 that was the day’s best and left him in a tie for the lead with Jason Dufner after the second round.

Playing 20 years after his lone Masters title, Couples came within one stroke of his best score ever at Augusta National. At age 52, he became the oldest to hold the Masters lead, three years older than Lee Trevino in 1989.

“I feel like I’m very young when I get here,” said Couples, who is at 139.

Tiger Woods, on the other hand, appeared to be aging quickly during the course of a frustrating

3-over 75 that left him eight shots off the pace.

Plagued by a wild driver in the course of an opening 72, Woods saw the ailment spread to the rest of his bag. He took a penalty drop from the bank of Rae’s Creek at No.13, conked a spectator alongside No.15, and drop-kicked his club after a bad tee shot at No.16.

“I didn’t quite have it today with my swing, and unfortunately I just had to hang in there and be patient,” Woods said. “I played the par 3s in 3 over and the par-5s not so good, either.”

Woods parred all four of Augusta National’s par 5s — just the third time in 18 years that he’s failed to birdie at least one.

Dufner had a chance to hold the lead by himself when a birdie at the par-3 16th moved him to 6-under for the week. But he bogeyed No. 18 after picking up mud on his golf ball, giving him a 70 on the day.

“I’m just trying to have a nice round of golf,” said the unexcitable Dufner. “Play well, commit to my shots and let the rest take care of itself.”

The Alabama pro had a chance to win the PGA Championship last year, losing a playoff to Keegan Bradley after three bogeys in his final four holes helped dissipate a five-shot lead. He’s still seeking his first PGA Tour victory.

“It didn’t quite work,” he said, “but it carried over into this year.”

First-round leader Lee Westwood also stood at 6 under going to the final hole, but hooked his second shot and then three-putted for a double bogey. His 73 dropped him into a quintet one shot off the pace.

Joining Westwood at 4-under were U.S. Open titleholder Rory McIlroy (69), former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (72), Sergio Garcia (68) and Bubba Watson (71).

Phil Mickelson was three shots off the pace, recovering from an opening 74 with a Friday 68 to reach the midway point at 2-under.

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LEADERBOARD

Fred Couples	72-67	—	139
Jason Dufner	69-70	—	139
Lee Westwood	67-73	—	140
Louis Oosthuizen	68-72	—	140
Sergio Garcia	72-68	—	140
Rory McIlroy	71-69	—	140
Bubba Watson	69-71	—	140
Miguel Angel Jimenez	69-72	—	141
Paul Lawrie	69-72	—	141
Matt Kuchar	71-70	—	141

MASTERS SCORES

At Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club
Yardage: 7,435; Par: 72
(a-amateur)

Jason Dufner	69-70	—	139
Fred Couples	72-67	—	139
Lee Westwood	67-73	—	140
Louis Oosthuizen	68-72	—	140
Sergio Garcia	72-68	—	140
Rory McIlroy	71-69	—	140
Bubba Watson	69-71	—	140
Miguel Angel Jimenez	69-72	—	141
Paul Lawrie	69-72	—	141
Matt Kuchar	71-70	—	141
Aaron Baddeley	71-71	—	142
Ben Crane	69-73	—	142
Peter Hanson	68-74	—	142
Charles Howell III	72-70	—	142
Phil Mickelson	74-68	—	142
Vijay Singh	70-72	—	142
Henrik Stenson	71-71	—	142
Nick Watney	71-71	—	142
Gary Woodland	73-70	—	143
Jonthan Byrd	72-71	—	143
Jim Furyk	70-73	—	143
Sean O’Hair	73-70	—	143
Y.E. Yang	73-70	—	143
Padraig Harrington	71-73	—	144
Fredrik Jacobson	76-68	—	144
Hunter Mahan	72-72	—	144
Zach Johnson	70-74	—	144
Francesco Molinari	69-75	—	144
Ian Poulter	72-72	—	144
Justin Rose	72-72	—	144
a-Hideki Matsuyama	71-74	—	145
Adam Scott	75-70	—	145
Sang-Moon Bae	75-71	—	146
Stewart Cink	71-75	—	146
Bill Haas	72-74	—	146
Kevin Na	71-75	—	146
Geoff Oglilvy	74-72	—	146
Webb Simpson	72-74	—	146
David Toms	73-73	—	146
Kevin Chappell	71-76	—	147
Martin Kaymer	72-75	—	147
Graeme McDowell	75-72	—	147
Charl Schwartzel	72-75	—	147
Brandt Snedeker	72-75	—	147
Scott Stallings	70-77	—	147
Tiger Woods	72-75	—	147
Keegan Bradley	71-77	—	148
Bo Van Pelt	73-75	—	148
Luke Donald	75-73	—	148
Ross Fisher	71-77	—	148
Rickie Fowler	74-74	—	148
Anders Hansen	76-72	—	148
Robert Karlsson	74-74	—	148
Martin Laird	76-72	—	148
Steve Stricker	71-77	—	148
Scott Verplank	73-75	—	148
Thomas Bjorn	73-76	—	149
Gonz. Fernandez-Castano	74-75	—	149
Angel Cabrera	71-78	—	149
a-Patrick Cantlay	71-78	—	149
Trevor Immelman	78-71	—	149
a-Kelly Kraft	74-75	—	149
Edoardo Molinari	75-74	—	149
Failed to qualify
K.T. Kim	74-76	—	150
John Senden	74-76	—	150
Paul Casey	76-75	—	151
Harrison Frazar	73-78	—	151
Jose Maria Olazabal	75-76	—	151
Larry Mize	76-75	—	151
Kyle Stanley	75-76	—	151
Tom Watson	77-74	—	151
Mike Weir	72-79	—	151
Robert Garrigus	77-75	—	152
Bernhard Langer	72-80	—	152
Ryan Palmer	75-77	—	152
Rory Sabbatini	72-80	—	152
K.J. Choi	77-76	—	153
Ryo Ishikawa	76-77	—	153
a-Bryden MacPherson	77-76	—	153
Chez Reavie	79-74	—	153
Johnson Wagner	79-74	—	153
Darren Clarke	73-81	—	154
Tim Clark	73-81	—	154
Mark Wilson	76-78	—	154
Ian Woosnam	77-77	—	154
Lucas Glover	75-79	—	154
Simon Dyson	78-77	—	155
a-Corbin Mills	74-81	—	155
Alvaro Quiros	78-77	—	155
Brendan Steele	76-89	—	156
Ben Crenshaw	76-83	—	159
a-Randal Lewis	81-78	—	159
Craig Stadler	81-82	—	163
Sandy Lyle	86-78	—	164
Mark O’Meara	WD
Jason Day	WD