As Fred Couples studied a treacherous 45-foot putt on the final green of the Augusta National Golf Club on Friday, he probably wasn't thinking about a green jacket.

After all, it was only the second round of the Masters, and most say the tournament begins on the back nine on Sunday.

Couples had to get to Saturday first. The 1992 Masters champion was at 1-over-par for the tournament, and to have any chance of making the 36-hole cut, Couples needed a two-putt on No. 18.

Couples caressed the ball, which crept from the top tier of the 18th green toward the cup. His touch was good enough to coax it close and secure a second-round 71 to extend his consecutive cuts-made streak at Augusta to 17.

``I can't say I wasn't thinking about it. I knew I had made every cut at the Masters. The streak is nice,'' Couples said after completing 36 holes in 74-71-145 to barely make it to the weekend.

Making the cut at the 65th Masters was nearly as tough as Couples' putt on No. 18. The cut-line fell at 145, matching the lowest cut score in Masters history. The 36-hole cut also was 145 in 1979, '92 and '95.

Couples is 17-for-17 in the cuts-made category at Augusta, and he's not even the leader in the clubhouse.

Bernhard Langer followed a first-round 73 with a 3-under-par 69 on Friday to make his 18th consecutive cut, the longest active streak at Augusta.

John Huston also has a good run going. With rounds of 67-75-142, Huston now has made the cut in each of his 12 appearances in the Masters.

While Langer, Couples and Huston extended their streaks, Ian Woosnam's run ended at 12 straight cuts made. The 1991 Masters champion struggled to a 77 Friday (71-77-148 total) and missed his first cut since 1989.

Two-time Masters runner-up Davis Love III was the most prominent casualty, shooting a 75 on Friday to finish at 2-over 146. The Sea Island, Ga., resident shot a 3-over 39 on the front, then found the water on the par-5 15th for another bogey. A birdie at the 17th left him one shot shy of making the cut.

Love, who ranks fifth on this year's PGA Tour money list, ended a victory drought earlier this year at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and was considered one of the top contenders this year.

Gary Player, who holds the all-time mark for consecutive cuts made at the Masters (23), could have etched his name in the record books again Friday. The 65-year-old Player three-putted four times on the way to a second-round 76, and missed the cut by four strokes.

``It's a bitter pill to swallow. It would have been nice to make the cut at 65,'' said Player, who was trying to become the oldest player to play on the weekend at the Masters.

Tommy Aaron remains the oldest player to make the Masters cut. He played all four rounds last year at age 63.

The way Couples was talking after finishing his round Friday, he has no intention of challenging Aaron's record.

``I just don't shoot the scores that I used to because of the way I get the ball around. It used to be my mis-hits were decent. Now I have to scramble for a bogey or an occasional double bogey,'' said Couples, who has curtailed his playing schedule in recent years. ``I made one long putt in 36 holes - as good as these greens are, that's pretty bad. If you watch me putt, you know that's what I need to work on.''

As usual, Couples can work on his stroke on the weekend at Augusta.