KENNY Perry birdied the last hole to tie fellow American Chad Campbell for the lead at nine under par in the US Masters second round.
Perry almost holed his approach at the uphill 18th before sinking a three-footer to complete a five-under 67 for 135.
Campbell, who led by one stroke overnight on 65, opened a five-shot advantage with four birdies in the first ten holes before bogeying the 11th, 12th and 17th as gusty winds blew through Augusta National.
He then drained a 20-foot birdie putt to
end the round on a high and finish with a 70.
American Todd Hamilton, the 2004 Open winner, returned a 70 for 138. Also on six under was 2007 US Open champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina (through 10 holes) and American Jim Furyk (eight).
World No 1 Tiger Woods, playing his first major since knee surgery in June, began the day five off the pace and was unable to mount a charge.
Woods twice followed birdies with bogeys on the front nine and balanced another birdie at the par-5 15th with a bogey at 18 for an even-par 72 and a 142 total that left him seven shots off the lead. "I need to play a little bit better than I did today," the four-times champion said. "I need to sink some more putts."
The biggest 36-hole deficit Woods has overcome at Augusta was six strokes on his way to victory in 2005. After perfect weather and a generous course set-up helped produce record scoring on Thursday, swirling winds challenged the players in the second round.
Perry toured the 7,435-yard layout without a bogey.
Greens were receptive and good scores were available. American Anthony Kim set a Masters record with 11 birdies. However, he also had two bogeys and a double-bogey in a 65 that earned a 140 aggregate.
Northern Ireland 19-year-old Rory McIlroy jumped to four under with an eagle 3 at the 13th but double-bogeyed the 16th and triple-bogeyed 18 for a one-over 73 that put him on the projected cut line of 145.
Terrible though McIlroy's finish was, there might be an even more damaging conclusion to his day.
The question was raised with officials whether he had kicked the sand before hitting his next shot out of the bunker on the last. That would be a breach of the rules.
Hamilton eagled the 15th in a see-saw round containing four bogeys and four birdies.
The American put away his clubs for a while after missing seven cuts earlier this year.
"Maybe that was a blessing in disguise," said Hamilton. "It recharged my mind and body."
McDowell carded a 73 to be two under par and was left to rue a six on the long 15th, where he went for the green in two and saw his ball sail 40 yards over the green. "I thought it might reach the water," he said. "I played it as wind against, but it's very difficult to pick it and it left me in a horrible place.
"I was happy to walk off with a six in the end." He needed two chips to make the fringe, sent a putt seven-foot by, but made it coming back.
"A 73 is a little disappointing, but I think the course is only going to get trickier.
"That's Augusta – it gives and takes away just as fast. I couldn't believe Chad had got to 11 under, but I see he's leaking some oil now."
Ian Poulter matched McDowell's 73 for a level par aggregate, the same as Houston Open winner Paul Casey, and commented: "The back nine is as swirly as I've ever seen it – brutal compared to yesterday. Bizarre."
He went in the water at the 12th despite switching from a nine-iron to an eight-iron.
"There are a lot of shots with danger and there's not a lot you can do. If I'd hit seven-iron it would have been in the bushes and I'd have made loads."
As it was he saved a bogey four with an eight-foot putt and parred in.
Ian Woosnam, whose mother died earlier in the week, managed only a front-nine 40 to stand six over, while fellow former winners Ben Crenshaw and Tom Watson showed their age sadly with 83s.
England's Ross Fisher, five under after 16 holes yesterday, followed two closing bogeys with an outward 37 and then double-bogeyed the short 12th to stand level par.
Luke Donald went the other way. He had been four over after 12 on Thursday, recovered for a 73 and turned in 33 yesterday afternoon to improve to two under. But then came bogeys on the 11th and 12th.
Lee Westwood was one under with seven to go and Oliver Wilson and Justin Rose two over after eight and 10 respectively.
Open champion Padraig Harrington's patience paid dividends when he eagled the 13th to return his starting position of three under par, good enough for joint ninth place.
Behind him world No 2 Phil Mickelson Mickelson finally got going by grabbing a birdie on 12 and then matching Harrington's three at the next. He was one under.
He had remained in danger of missing the cut when he bogeyed the 11th to slip to two over, but Sergio Garcia turned in 33 and was two under with eight to go in the last group of the day.
