Perry Joins Campbell Leading the Masters After Round Two

Two victorious Ryder Cuppers are leading the Masters at the halfway point.

Chad Campbell added a 70 to go with his nine-birdie Thursday 65. With being tied by Kenny Perry who followed a 68 with a 67 Campbell is exactly in the same position as three years ago. In 2006 he finished T3.

Though he had three bogeys on the back nine he finished the round off the right way by birdying No. 18. Overall he has had 14 birdies and five bogeys so far in this his sixth Masters.

“It's always nice to end with a birdie, and especially today, definitely a little bit unhappy with the way I played the back nine. Made some mistakes on the back nine. A couple bogeys and missed opportunities for birdie. But birdieing the last hole definitely gives me a good attitude going into tomorrow.”

With no victories last year and unable to qualify any other way Campbell missed out playing in the Masters and that experience likely is a motivating factor to do well this year.

“I was very, very disappointed last year not being able to come here. I look forward to coming here probably more so than any event we play all year. This is a special place, and, you know, it's always exciting the first time you pull in and the first day you get here. It was definitely a disappointment not being here last year.”

Campbell knows his co-leader is also looking for that first Major win and will be difficult to beat down the stretch along with 48 golfers who made the plus-one cut on Friday.

“He's an awesome player. He's one of the best drivers there is out here; probably, possibly the best driver of the ball we have. Great player. He's a great friend of mine, too, so I'm glad to see him playing well. You know, obviously last year, he showed what he can do when he gets on a roll. He's definitely going to be tough to beat.”

Kenny Perry is already a winner earlier this year at the FBR Open and had three victories last year to go with that huge Ryder Cup triumph at Vahalla in his home state of Kentucky.

He is consistent and improving as the week goes on shooting a bogey-free 67 to go with his Thursday 68. His 11-birdie, two bogey performance is the closest to error free golf than any of the leaders.

He won that Ryder Cup for his dad. “He was a smart man. He taught me a lot. At Ryder Cup when he came up and gave me that hug, you know, I told him, that was the greatest gift I could ever have given him. That was pretty special for us as a father and a son.” Maybe he will win a Major this week for himself. “I really believe I can win this Tournament.”

All systems are going for Perry. “I'm driving it beautifully. I've switched one club in my bag from my four wins and it's my driver. I put this new driver in play and I told my caddie, I said, "I think I can win a U.S. Open with this driver, because I'm driving it so straight."

I've probably lost five to seven yards in distance, but it's given me a lot of confidence in straightness. It don't really curve as much right-to-left. It's a very straight driver. Whatever they have done to it, I don't know. I probably missed three fairways this whole week, at the most, and I hit 15 greens yesterday; I probably hit 16 today.

My iron game is really good. My putting, my touch is really good with my putter. I've got great speed.”

Perry doesn’t need a Major win to define his career. “I think the public looks at you and says you need to win a Major. But for me, to where I came from, the roots I had and my upbringing, to come from a nine-hole golf course in the middle of nowhere; I didn't have swing coaches.

I didn't have this entourage. I didn't have the money. I didn't have anything. I was borrowing money, begging, doing whatever I could, scratching and clawing to get out here.

It means a lot more to me, I think, because of where I've come from and where I've been able to go and how much success I've been able to have. To me, that's very satisfying and very gratifying.”

A Major Champion with nothing to prove is one stroke out of the lead and the most consistent golfer score-wise so far with a pair of 68s. “I think I played the same as yesterday, very well. I hit very well off the tee, and I made the putts for a very good round.” In his first two rounds he has eleven birdies and three bogeys.

Knowing he won the US Open at Oakmont in 2007 give Cabrera a certain air of confidence though he knows there still some golf to play. “Having won a Major gives you confidence, for sure.

The most difficult one to win is the first one, so I think that the second one, well, looking forward to the second Major win. What I felt in Oakmont was very special. And here I'm feeling very well, but still, a lot of tournament to go. We are halfway.”

The Major winner Todd Hamilton who shot 68-70 and is three strokes back alone in fourth place does have something to prove or at least achieve this year. His full exemption from winning the 2004 British Open expires at the end of the year.

Making only 53 cuts in 151 starts the last five seasons and no more than $559,495 in any one season he realizes his livelihood going forward is in jeopardy.

He needs a good year in 2009 and a high finish or even a victory at the Masters would be incredibly satisfying to Hamilton who has not come close to winning a tournament in those ensuing five seasons since the win at Royal Troon.

“My year has not been that great. Not counting this event, I made two out of nine cuts. But it wasn't to the point where I can lose all hope. You know, I may have had some 74s and 75s, but a drive five yards left here, five yards right there, a couple of times during the round, and those 74s and 75s could have been even pars; a few putts here and there, also.

So on paper, it doesn't look very good, but it wasn't to the point where I was going to quit playing the game.”

Hamilton started playing better in the last half of last year making 11 out of 14 cuts at one point. As far as this Masters the 43-year old golfer was quite honest with himself. “I don't think I had any expectations.

I was just happy to have a chance knowing this could be my last one, and I wanted to play like it wasn't going to be my last one. I wanted to have a chance to come back.” Maybe the relaxed attitude is the key to his success so far this week at Augusta?

Most people do not know that Hamilton played golf in Japan for 12 years and has 14 international titles to his credit to go along with a Honda Classic and that British Open victory in 2004. The admitted golf junky just likes to play golf a lot. “Used to be when I was a kid.

If I didn't play more than one or two days, I was angry for some reason.” Todd Hamilton go ahead and go out there this weekend and win your second Major championship and you can play all the golf you want to at Augusta National forever and ever.

Alone in fifth place four strokes back of the leaders is Wednesday Par-Three Tournament Winner Tim Clark who followed Thursday’s 68 with a 71. It was an interesting 71 at that following up a four bogey birdie-free front nine with a spectacular 31 on back nine including an eagle at No. 13.

Maybe it is a mere coincidence that no par-three winner has even gone on to win the Masters. A Sunday back nine 31 albeit a different challenge than a Friday back nine 31 would go along way to victory and proving it is all superstition.

Anthony Kim leads a group of five golfers tied for sixth place at four-under five strokes back with 36 holes to be played on the weekend. Kim was feeling downright buoyant with his round of golf that included a record 11 birdies.

“To make 11 birdies out there. I haven't been making 11 birdies in two days; so to make 11 in one day is pretty special. And obviously to do it at Augusta is amazing. Hopefully I can build off that and if I keep the putter hot, I like my chances here.”

The others tied with Kim are South African Rory Sabbatini who tied for second here in 2007; the Japanese Shingo Katayama who has never done better than T27 in seven previous Masters appearances; 2003 US Open Champion Jim Furyk who slipped a little with a second round 74 and Sergio Garcia the reigning PLAYERS Champion who charged at the end birdieing three of his last four holes.

Phil Mickelson’s four-under combo of 73-68 is five strokes back and good enough for T11 at this point. Tiger Woods’ 70-72 is one stroke worse and a T19.

Notable golfers to miss the cut at this the 72nd Masters Tournament include Freddie Couples, Retief Goosen, Ernie Els, Greg Norman, Ryo Ishikawa, US Amateur Champion Danny Lee and playing in their last Masters Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller.

Reiner Saxton the Dutchman who won the British Amateur was the low amateur in the Masters shooting 75-72 but missed the cut by two strokes. No Silver Cup. Must make the 36-hole cut according to Masters News Bulletin No. 10.

On to the weekend at Augusta National and spring!