New faces are on top at the Masters

AUGUSTA -- The winds of change whirled convincingly at the Masters on Friday.

Famed Masters champions Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller presumably played their final competitive rounds on a day where the wind - or the ghosts of Augusta National, depending on one's perception - howled at Amen Corner and made its presence felt at the internationally known golf course.

Friday's 36-hole leaderboard signified a changing of the guard - well, at least the norm, which was a fitting gesture in light of Player and Zoeller's farewells. The top 10 players atop the leaderboard had never won at Augusta - a list topped by a pair of players with no major victories.

Texas native Chad Campbell and Kentucky-born Kenny Perry led the Masters at 9-under, followed by Angel Cabrera, alone in third place after he scored a pair of 4-under 68s in his first two rounds.

"Everything is a bonus now, it really is," Perry said in light of his experience with the 2008 Ryder Cup team at Valhalla. "I'm just going through each and every day enjoying life a little bit.

"I think I can win," he added. "You know, I'm not going out there very casually. ... I'm burning inside, wanting to kick everybody's butt."

Perry's powerful and confident statement mirrored his play Friday, as he shot 5-under 67. Both Perry and Campbell converted pivotal birdie putts on 18; Perry's birdie putt came after he ran his approach shot onto the green and it nearly fell into the cup for eagle.

Perry, at 48 years old, can break Jack Nicklaus' mark as the oldest winner at Augusta with a victory this weekend.

The other eight golfers that made up Friday's top 10 was a list of household names, as well as virtual unknowns.

Todd Hamilton, whose PGA Tour exemption is slated to expire this year, stood alone in fourth at 6-under for the tournament. He has one major tournament victory to his credit - a victory at the 2004 British Open.

On Friday, he overcame a 4-over start on the back nine with an eagle at 15 that buoyed his 6-under finish on the back nine.

"I don't think I had any expectations," a modest Hamilton said. "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."

Tim Clark, Wednesday's Par 3 contest winner, might have enjoyed a better rags-to-riches second round. Clark, who finished the day alone in fifth at 5-under, began his day at 4-under, and then promptly gave Augusta its four strokes back through eight holes.

Eagles are known to fly through storms, though, not around them. Clark employed Hamilton's method and turned around his round with a two-stroke momentum swing at 13 and also scored a 6-under finish on the back nine.

Five familiar faces were tied in sixth place at 4-under - Jim Furyk, Sergio Garcia, Anthony Kim, Shingo Katayama and Rory Sabbatini.

Kim snapped a Masters record with 11 birdies in the second round, a mark that led to a 7-under round of 65. His bogey/double-bogey stretch at the turn - holes nine and 10 - were some of the few blemishes on an otherwise pristine performance.

"I haven't been making 11 birdies in two days, so to make 11 in one day is pretty special," Kim said. "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."

Furyk faced furious winds with his late start - 1:52 p.m. - and struggled to a 2-over 74 during Friday's round. However, he and Shingo Katayama (73), who also began his round in the afternoon and struggled to an over-par finish, remained in the running for the Green Jacket.

Sabbatini and Garcia braved Friday's winds and each rallied to shoot 5-under 67. Sabbatini eagled the par-5 second hole and only posted a single bogey during his round. Garcia, meanwhile, raced up the leaderboard with birdies on three of his last four holes.