Fred Couples has conjured up the old magic at the Masters Tournament. The 46-year-old former champion said Friday's parlor act felt like "11 hours of golf."

Fred Couples reacts to a missed birdie on No. 18 as he closes out his second Masters round with 70, good for a three-way tie for second place. (Andrew Davis Tucker/Staff)

If so, then the 1992 champion got 11 hours of hugs on the way to 70 and a three-way tie for second.

"Freddie's always been a fan favorite," said Jim Furyk, who played with him the first two rounds. "He's a guy all the girls like and all the guys like.

"That normally doesn't happen. If the girls like a guy, then the guys think he's a sissy. And guys usually like someone all the girls can't stand. ... He's a popular guy who's won here, so I think that endears him to everyone."

Furyk was grateful for Couples' last magic trick of the day.

"I've got a split in my finger, and when I went to shake his hand on the last hole I didn't realize that my hand had split open and started bleeding," Furyk said. "He had some stuff in his bag that he used. I had some stuff that I used I told him about. He said that wouldn't work as well as what he had. He had something better in his bag."

Couples had a lot of answers like that in his bag Friday.

"Today was so sporadic," Couples said. "Like on the seventh, I hit an unbelievable shot from the pine straw to about 15 feet and made it for birdie. On the second hole, I was in the junk (more pine straw) and barely found it and somehow hacked it out and got it down in front of the green and got up and down."

Couples made back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16, but got one back with a birdie on 17.

"I don't play great golf a lot," Couples said. "And that's being in positions like this. I do it every now and then. The British Open last year, I finished third. So I know I can do it."

He felt better about Thursday's round, even though he shot one stroke higher.

"Yesterday was 10 times better a round," Couples said. "It was about as nice as I could play from tee-to-green. But today, when I did hit a good shot I made a putt for birdie. Yesterday I had a couple of tap-ins for birdie and a couple of long three-putts."

Part of that was having played 86 rounds at the Masters.

"I think (this course) is set up for my game," Couples said. "It sets up for a lot of guys. But when I come here I feel like I am a very good lag putter and you have to do that here. My eyes (catch) the slopes pretty well."

He also took some time during his post-round comments to defend the course changes .

"Some people complain about the greatest things in the world ...," Couples said. "Like the 11th hole, some guys are hitting driver and 4, 5, or 6-iron. Are we too proud to have a hole where we have to hit a 5-iron to a green? But everyone rants and raves because we're not really accustomed to it when you normally hit a drive 310 yards and normally have a 9-iron."

Reach Jeff Sentell at (706) 823-3425 or jeff.sentell@augustachronicle.com.