Kenny Perry, Chad Campbell share lead at Augusta

AUGUSTA, GA. — When Tiger Woods finally entered the scorer's hut just off the 18th green Friday afternoon at Augusta National, he was, for a moment, shielded from any breeze. There, he was presented with the evidence of what that wind did to him in the second round of the Masters: a three-birdie, three-bogey effort that had him all but treading water, water made choppy from the gusts.

"Conditions were tough," Woods said, jaw clenched. "It was just tough all around."

Yet moments earlier, on the fairway just over Woods' shoulder, Kenny Perry had waffled between a pair of clubs, selected one, thrown his ball into the same wind that befuddled Woods, and stuck it perhaps a size-13 shoe from the pin. Perry made that putt to finish off a wonderful 67 that was devoid of a single bogey or a single complaint about the weather. If the breeze kicked up as Perry walked off the 18th, he didn't notice, because he was busy thrusting his right fist into the air as the gallery cheered, then putting the left one up as well.

"I was so comfortable out there today," Perry said.

Perhaps Perry was a bit too triumphant for a Friday afternoon at Augusta National, but his play and his words served to remind folks that the conditions defined the day only for those who allowed them to. Perry's brilliant round in less-than brilliant conditions put him in a tie for the lead with first-round leader Chad Campbell, whose two-under 70 left him at nine-under 135 at the midway point of a tournament whose leaderboards are devoid, for now, of Woods, whose even-par 72 left him two-under -- a frustrated afterthought whose emotions were exactly the opposite of Perry's.

"That was probably one of the greatest rounds I've ever played, to be honest," Perry said, and considering he has contended in precisely one major and no Masters in a 23-year career, he's right.

Augusta National, which had seemed so benign on a gorgeous, calm Thursday, was at its wait-is-this-the-right-club best Friday. Padraig Harrington, winner of the last two majors, stood over his putt on the 15th green only to have the ball waffle in the wind, requiring a rules consultation reminiscent of the Yalta Conference. Players went to their bag on the tee at the par-three 12th, pulled a club, walked to the ball -- then returned to the bag again, befuddled.

"It's perfect conditions," said Hunter Mahan, who skidded to a 75 after an opening 66, "for head-scratching."