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AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Dissatisfied with his opening-round 76, two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer came out firing Friday and put together his best round ever at Augusta National.

The slightly-built German, in 65th place after the first round, leapt into contention with dazzling 6-under-par 66.

"I drove the ball well. I kept hitting the fairways. I kept hitting most of the greens. I obviously made a number of putts," said Langer, whose best previous Masters round was 68.

Langer's brilliant round, which featured seven birdies against a lone bogey, was the low round for the tournament so far and moved him onto the leaderboard at two-under-par 142.

Langer said he changed his putting grip during a practice session following Thursday's round, placing his hand lower on the long-handled grip. The move paid off as his birdie putts included two 20-footers and a 45-footer, and all the testing five and six-footers he faced.

The 66 was all the more impressive considering the blustery winds Friday.

"Conditions were tricky today," said Langer, who has been struggling with his game in recent weeks. "There was always some wind about, and we all know how difficult this golf course gets when you have wind."

Langer's 66 on Friday was his best score ever at Augusta. (AP)

Langer, the 1993 and 1985 champion, said he decided to come out more aggressively Friday after leaving several putts short in the opening round.

"Yesterday I actually played reasonable, and I just couldn't make a thing. I left everything short. I had no touch, I had no clue, just left every putt short. And you obviously can't make birdie that way."

Langer, 41, was almost too bold with his 45-foot birdie putt at the ninth, but was saved by his perfect line, which took the ball directly to the middle of the cup.

"That putt looked like it moved the hole three feet further away from me the way it went in," he said about the force with which the putt hit the hole.

"I think it would have gone off the green if it hadn't hit right in the middle."

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