More Masters: WATCH NOW | Leaderboard | Field | TV Schedule | Course Guide

Fred Couples turned back the clock on Friday, as he always seems to do in the first two rounds, and followed up his 71 on Thursday with another 71 on Friday to get to 2 under within five of Bubba Watson's lead.

In fact it looked like he turned it all the way back to 1992, complete with another shot on No. 12 that stopped on the bank side of the water. 

I mean, look at this:

Couples told ESPN's Mike Tirico after his round he feels the same as usual.

"I feel great about playing here and then when you see me in the parking lot on Saturday night I'm all dejected the last few years because I haven't been able to keep putting these rounds together."

Couples used four birdies and three bogeys on the day to become just the third golfer in the field to go under par in each of the first two rounds (Bubba Watson and Jonas Blixt are the others).

Couples has become a mainstay at the top of the Masters leaderboard in the last few years, teasing us with strong rounds early in the week and fading a little on the weekend. You can add another top 10 number to this stat:

But can he hang for the final 36 holes?

History says no (and Couples confirmed that to Tirico), though he has finished in the top 15 in each of the last four years. His Saturday rounds have been not great: 77, 75, and 72.

With big names like Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy basically doing nothing in the first two days, the tournament could use the jolt Couples can give it.

Will this be the year?

Fred Couples is just hanging around. (Getty Images)
Fred Couples is just hanging around. (Getty Images)

It would be the golf story of the decade.

For more golf news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnGolf and @KylePorterCBS on Twitter or Google+ and like us on Facebook.