Couples: six bogeys
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Former champion Fred Couples is facing a struggle to make a record 24th consecutive cut at the Masters after shooting a four-over-par 76.
The 48-year-old American - who won his only major in 1992 - had six bogeys and two birdies in an uncharcteristically sloppy round from this Augusta specialist.
"I misclubbed a lot of shots, and they were hard shots," Couples said. "I didn't hit very good ones and I didn't make many putts. When you do that, it kind of adds up to 76 which is very mediocre.
"I hit the ball well. It wasn't like I embarrassed myself. You've just got to make birdies.
"If I could have made a couple more birdies and hung in there, maybe I wouldn't have tried a couple of shots where I put myself in horrible places by trying to get a little greedy.
"If you're even par or even three or four over, you make a couple of bad swings and the next thing you know you get to a spot where there's no way you can get out of it."
Couples made his 23rd consecutive cut at Augusta last year to join South African three-time winner Gary Player in the record books.
Player made a record 23 successive cuts at the Masters from 1959 to 1982. He missed the tournament in 1973.
The South African set a record of his own on Thursday, however, playing in his 51st Masters. He shot an opening 83.
