Toss that card
Fred Couples was again playing in the final pairing on a Saturday at the Masters, but the 53-year-old endured a second consecutive Saturday plunge. Couples went from one shot off the lead to a round of 5-over-par 77 and more or less out of contention. Two holes undid everything: a double bogey after a bad bunker shot on No. 7 and a triple bogey on No. 17.
Keep that card
Tim Clark finished second to Phil Mickelson in the 2006 Masters, the South African and North Carolina State product's best-ever finish at a major. Clark, who missed the cut at the past three Masters, made birdie on five of the first seven holes and shot a 5-under 67. "Going off early, the front nine, the greens are somewhat receptive," Clark said. "So I was able to get some birdies early and sort of try and hang on."
On the course with ...
Defending Masters champion Bubba Watson made up some ground with a 2-under 70. But at nine strokes back, he knows his chances of winning a second consecutive green jacket are pretty slim.
"I'd have to shoot a real low one tomorrow to have a chance," Watson said.
An odd number of players made the cut and Watson was the first one out, so he played with a marker: Jeff Knox, who holds the non-tournament course record from the members' tees at 61. They made their way around Augusta National in a blistering 3 hours and 20 minutes.
Rory watch
Rory McIlroy tumbled down the leaderboard after dropping five shots in five holes, a round of 79 almost as bad as his final-round meltdown two years ago.
McIlroy put two balls in the water on the back nine, and he needed pars on his last two holes just to break 80. He is at 5 over for the tournament.
The No. 2 player in the world called it a "very frustrating day," and said his chances to win at Augusta were "gone" after the five-shot swing. He dropped three more shots when he went in the water on 15 and made bogey on the par-3 16.
