Jack Nicklaus played like a champion for the final five holes Friday, and that was enough to keep him in the tournament through the weekend.

Greg Norman, Nicklaus' playing partner, hit two balls into the water on the back nine, and his much talked-about return to Augusta ended with a missed cut.

Nicklaus and Norman played together Friday by virtue of their first-round 77s. The man with six green jackets and the man with everything but a green jacket were the glamour pairing among players with early tee times.

On the front nine, it looked as if Nicklaus was in for a hard day and Norman was readying himself for a move up the leader board. Norman had several birdie opportunities on the front nine, but he could convert only one. Nicklaus struggled and made two bogeys, including on the ninth hole where he putted off the green and had to chip back on.

Nicklaus started his turnaround, though, when he holed a 6-foot putt on No. 14 for his first one-putt birdie of the tournament. Then, on the par-5 15th, he reached the green in two shots and had a fairly straight 25-foot putt for eagle.

As Nicklaus looked at the putt, his son and caddy Jackie gave him a little extra motivation.

``Now Jack, you've got to make this,'' he said. ``I promised Steve (another of Nicklaus' sons) you'd make it for his (34th) birthday.''

Nicklaus holed the putt, and threw his arms up in celebration. The gallery joined in with a loud roar and shouts of ``Go, Jack!''

Nicklaus said later he was amazed his reaction.

After holing tough par-saving putts at 16 and 17, Nicklaus had another 25-foot-putt for birdie at 18. Again Jackie reminded him about Steve wanting a 70.

He nailed it.

Nicklaus said after six months of disappointing play and a rough start at this tournament, the last five holes were fun.

``What was fun about it is that I really worked at it,'' Nicklaus said. ``I got a little bit nervous and performed. That's what I used to do.''

While Nicklaus was elevating his play, The Shark was sinking again. At 12, Norman hit what Nicklaus termed ``the worst-looking iron shot I'd ever seen at 12'' into Rae's Creek, and scored a bogey there.

At No. 15, Norman's second shot landed on the green, but rolled back into the water. Norman actually hit a good shot there, Nicklaus said, but ended up in the water because the wind shifted as he hit the ball. He bogeyed the hole.

The roll into the water seemed to devastate Norman.

``He didn't want to play after that, it appeared,'' Nicklaus said.

Norman three-putted at 16, and had a putt roll off the green at 17. His two-round totals were 77-74-151.

After the round, Norman walked off quickly, stopping only briefly to talk to reporters. He said he wasn't nervous, and that he had the same problems Friday as he had Thursday.

Nicklaus, by making the cut, will break Sam Snead's record Sunday for most rounds at the Masters. Snead played 146 rounds, and Sunday will be Nicklaus' 147th.

Nicklaus said getting the record this year wasn't on his mind at all.

``I'll play again,'' he said.