Vijay Singh had to sign for not one, not two, but three double bogeys -- and he didn't feel all that bad about it.
Tiger Woods was satisfied to break par by all of one stroke.
Phil Mickelson gladly settled for one of those ordinary 72s.
PHOTO: AP
It's turning into that kind of Masters -- a US Open-style survival contest where everyone tries to avoid getting voted off the island. Actually, the main goal on a blustery, brutal Friday was just making it to the weekend at Augusta National with a chance.
"I'm in good shape," said Woods, perfectly content to be five shots off the lead at the halfway point after a 72-71 start. "A good shot can end up in a bad spot and you just have to accept the consequences and move on. It was very difficult."
Not for Chad Campbell, who made the second round of the Masters look like a regular week on the PGA Tour with a 5-under-par 67, giving him a three-stroke lead. But he was the definitely the exception.
For the second day in a row, only three players broke 70. The field's scoring average was a smidgen below 74. Most everyone was gladly settling for par, hanging on, trying to avoid one of those major mistakes that lurked at every hole.
Rocco Mediate had the consummate Masters round for these conditions. A couple of bogeys. One birdie. The rest pars. Keep on grinding, take a 73 and be thrilled that you're solidly in contention heading to Saturday.
"I'm exhausted," said Mediate, tied for second with Singh and Fred Couples at three shots off the lead. "You never know where the wind is coming from. You think you do, but you don't. I don't know if anybody does. But that's why you're not seeing a lot of low scores. What Chad did today was remarkable."
Campbell and the other medium-length hitters took advantage of the firm, crusty conditions that took some of the edge off the bulked-up course, which grew to a staggering 7,445 yards this year -- the second-longest test in major championship history.
Not that Campbell is measuring himself for a green jacket. With a 6-under 138, the job is only half done. Besides, the course could change dramatically Saturday -- the forecast called for possible thunderstorms.
"You don't want to get ahead of yourself," Campbell said. "I've got 36 holes left. There is a lot of golf left."
His run of three straight birdies on the back nine was about the only thing resembling a charge that typically defines this major. Just like so many US Opens, the goal was to keep the ball in play off the tee and go from there.
"You play away from flags here like you do at US Opens," said Ernie Els, who has won that tournament twice and has twice been the runner-up in this one since 2000. "The only difference is the rough is not as high. Give that some time."
Campbell is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour who hasn't quite fulfilled his potential in the majors. He missed the cut in his first two Masters, and faded to a tie for 17th last year. He's setting the pace this year, but 15 players -- including Woods and the rest of the so-called Big Five -- were within five strokes of the lead.
"Obviously, your goal is to be able to compete in all the majors," Campbell said. "I haven't done that as well as I'd like."
He's being chased by a bunch of guys who've done just fine in the majors.
Singh won the Masters in 2000 and has three major titles overall. Mickelson, who joined Els and three others at 142, captured a green jacket two years ago and added the PGA Championship last August. Retief Goosen (143) has two US Open titles.
Goosen was joined at 143 by the greatest player of this generation. Woods is the defending Masters champion and trying to become the first to have a pair of back-to-back titles. Overall, he has 10 major championships, four of them from Augusta National.
"I've never been a proponent of golf tournaments where you've got to shoot 20- or 30-under par to win," Woods said. "I enjoy tournaments where if you shoot a round in the 60s, you've earned it. ... That's what major championships are all about."
Campbell played like a champion. The Texan began his surge at Amen Corner, holing a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 12th that drew virtually no applause. He laid up on the par-5 13th and made a 10-foot birdie, then hit a 9-iron to a back pin on the 14th that stopped 6 feet away. His final birdie, a 15-foot putt that swirled into the hole, gave him a comfortable margin.
But as so many others learned, no lead is safe.
Singh opened with a 67, birdied two of his first three holes Friday and appeared to be in command until hitting two shots he thought were perfect. A 6-iron went over the fourth green and into the bushes, and a 7-iron went over the fifth green into a bunker. Singh made double bogey on both holes, and the gallery gasped as it watched him tumble down the leaderboard.
For good measure, Singh found Rae's Creek on the 13th for another double bogey. He wound up with a 74, bruised but not out of it.
"I'm happy that I hung in there," Singh said. "I cannot win the tournament today. I just made sure I wasn't going to lose too many shots."
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