Bernhard Langer And Fred Couples Barely Missed The Masters Cut. For Langer, It Was The Final Time

More than 30 years ago, Fred Couples helped Bernhard Langer slip back into the green jacket at the Masters .

On Friday, both of them nearly made the cut.

Langer, playing in his 41st and final Masters , made a couple of birdies on the second nine at Augusta National to get to even for the tournament. But a shot into the water at the 15th led to a double bogey and, needing a par at the last to make the cut on the number, the 67-year-old Langer watched his 10-footer slip past the edge of the hole for a bogey.

The patrons encircling the hole nevertheless gave the 1985 and '93 champion a standing ovation as he finished up, then walked hand-in-hand with his wife, Vikki Carol, toward the clubhouse to sign his scorecard one last time.

"It was a very special last two days for me," Langer said afterward, "even starting off walking to the first tee yesterday, I got a standing ovation and the people really, you know, applauded. I almost teared up and almost started crying right there, and I said, 'Come on, get it together, you've got some golf to play.'