AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Zach Johnson is accustomed to playing good golf this time of year in the state of Georgia.

His spring success usually comes a couple hours to the west of Augusta National Golf Club, though, at Atlanta's TPC at Sugarloaf.

Johnson won the 2004 BellSouth Classic and finished second there a year ago. With that tournament pushed back to May this year, Johnson is playing well in the Masters Tournament instead.

Johnson was 3-under par through 27 holes and alone in the lead as of 3 p.m. The former Nationwide Tour money winner made three birdies and one bogey on Augusta's first nine Friday to pass 18-hole co-leaders Brett Wetterich and Justin Rose and 2006 Masters runner-up Tim Clark.

That trio is at 2-under par. Wetterich is the only player on the leaderboard to finish his second round before 3 p.m. Clark is 12 holes into his round while Rose was three holes in after teeing off in the day's last group at 2:14 p.m.

Jerry Kelly and Vijay Singh were two shots back in a tie for fifth place.

Kelly made the day's biggest early move, shooting a 4-under 32 on Augusta National's first nine to move from 3-over after the first round to 1-under through 35 holes.

Singh, the 2000 Masters champion, started his second round at 1-over par. He made two birdies in the first five holes to get to 1-under, and after trading bogeys and birdies later in his round was 1-under through 32 holes.

Augusta native Vaughn Taylor led a group at even par.

The leader, Johnson, is playing in his third Masters. He missed the cut in 2005 and finished tied for 32nd last year.

The 31-year-old Iowa native missed only two fairways in his first 27 holes and needed only 42 putts, helping him make seven birdies.