Many golfers remain in hunt
AUGUSTA, Ga. As the putt rolled down the hill toward the hole, a voice in the gallery around the 18th green yelled, "Slow down!"
Not to worry. The pace of the Masters is just fine for Chad Campbell, who made that birdie putt, and dozens of other players who are on a fast track.
Campbell and Kenny Perry are tied for the lead at 9-under par after two rounds, but still it is anyone's tournament because birdies are flowing. What a second consecutive lively and eventful round Friday did was set up an interesting weekend.
"I'll be nervous," said Campbell, who went as low as 11 under, then fell to 8 under before nailing the quick 25-foot birdie try on the last hole. "I actually like being nervous. It means that you are intense and you care about what happens."
It might be even better for a golfer if he is relaxed, as the 48-year-old Perry appeared to be. He made five birdies and no bogeys for an impressive 67 on a course that almost always has its way with him (five missed cuts in eight previous Masters). "That was probably one of the greatest rounds I've ever played, to be honest," he said. "I just didn't have any nerves. I was so comfortable out there today."
Those two are only one shot ahead of Angel Cabrera, who recovered the confident form that helped him edge Tiger Woods for the 2007 U.S. Open championship at Oakmont.
And Woods, despite difficulties with his putter and a round of par 72, is seven strokes back and well within range. "Hopefully, I've got to play a little bit better than I have, make a few more putts," he said, displeased with a bogey on No. 18, "and clean up my round."
Woods is tied at 2 under with Padraig Harrington, winner of the previous two majors. Harrington shot 73 Friday, including a penalty shot on the par-5 15th he incurred when a gust moved his ball on the green after he had taken his address.
"Here at Augusta, it's not a big deal to be seven behind," Harrington said, but added, "today's round ... doesn't give me much leeway."
The first two days of this Masters, with the greens fast but soft, have suggested that anything can happen. Much of it will happen in the golfers' heads.
"You've definitely got to be very patient and stay positive," Campbell said. "I mean, I'm going to have some bad holes. I'm probably going to make some bogeys. But there are some holes that you can make birdies on."
Campbell can draw on what he didn't do in 2006, when he was the 36-hole leader before finishing tied for third.
"I really don't know exactly what I learned, but I know it's nice that I've been in that position before," he said. "There's still a long way to go, but it's definitely nice to not be on foreign ground."
Once, Campbell was voted "The Next Big Thing" by his peers in a magazine poll. He was 29 when he nearly won the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, playing in the final group when Shaun Micheel won it with an approach on the 18th that nearly went in the hole. Campbell has yet to win a major. If he wins this one, he will look back on the putt on 18 Friday that would have gone at least 6 feet long had it missed the cup.
This is a Masters of possibilities, such as the record 11 birdies Anthony Kim made in his 65 Friday that left him at 4 under. Kim had been moved that morning, reading a story about the death of Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart.
"No matter what I shot, I wanted to put this round in perspective," Kim said. "I said, look, it's been a dream of mine to be at the Masters my whole life and there's no reason to pout about a bogey or a three-putt. Enjoy being out here and enjoy all of the hard work that was put into it by myself and my parents and go out there and have some fun."
