AUGUSTA, Ga. - There was a charge at the Masters, and it wasn't made by Tiger Woods.

Chad Campbell walks off the green after birdying 18 during the second round of the 2006 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club Friday April 7, 2006. (Andrew Davis Tucker/Staff)

Chad Campbell surged into the lead at Augusta National with a 5-under 67, while Woods failed to gain any ground in his bid to win a fifth green jacket as the tournament reached its midway point Friday.

Woods started the warm, blustery day five strokes behind Vijay Singh; he'll head to the weekend five strokes behind Campbell.

"I'm in good shape," Woods insisted.

Singh, who shot a 67 Thursday, made three double bogeys but kept plugging away, gladly settling for a 74 that could have been a lot worse. He made up for his blunders with five birdies, leaving him tied for second with Rocco Mediate and Fred Couples three shots back.

"I'm happy I hung in there," said Singh, the 2000 Masters champion. "You can't win the tournament today."

Phil Mickelson, who won his first major championship at Augusta two years ago, settled for a 72 and was four strokes out of the lead.

"It could have been good," Mickelson said. "I left some shots out there. But the way I look at it is: I'm in good position heading into the weekend."

Campbell's round was truly remarkable in the U.S. Open-like conditions. The course has been bulked up to 7,445 yards, the second-longest in major championship history. The wind was swirling in all sorts of directions. The greens had a yellowish tint and got even faster as the day went on.

"It's special to be leading after two rounds," said Campbell, who had a 6-under 138 total. "Obviously, my goal is to be leading after four rounds. I'm off to a good start, and hopefully I will have a good weekend."

Woods normally makes his move here in the second round, but he had to settle for staying put on this day with a 71.

"It was real tough out there," he said. "The wind was windy, swirly. It just played very difficult."

Fred Couples got in contention with a 70, leaving him tied with Singh and Mediate at 141. Then came Mickelson, perennial Masters contender Ernie Els, Darren Clarke, Tim Clark and David Howell - all at 142.

Ben Crenshaw, a two-time champion, had another day to remember. He shot 72 and made the Masters cut for the first time since 1997.

"This has always been my favorite place," said Crenshaw, just five strokes off the lead. "For six or seven years, I didn't play worth a darn."

Regarded as one of the up-and-coming stars on the PGA Tour, Campbell needs a major championship to validate his potential. After missing the cut in his first two Masters, he contended last year with a third-round 67, closed with a 75 and ended up in a tie for 17th. He wants to finish the job this time.

Campbell began a run of three straight birdies in Amen Corner. He made a 20-foot putt on the treacherous 12th - perhaps the most famous par-3 hole in the world. He laid up on the par-5 13th, which paid off when he wedged the ball to 10 feet and made the putt. At 14, he smothered the flag with a 9-iron, rolling in a 6-footer to take his score even lower.

Campbell bounced back from his first bogey at 17 with another birdie - his sixth of the round - to finish things off at 18. He again went with the 9-iron from 145 yards, putting the ball within 15 feet and sinking a putt that caught the left lip and spun in.

"So much has been made of driving and iron play now, but you've still got to putt," Campbell said. "The biggest part of this course is putting."

There were three major surprises on the first day - Mediate, Crenshaw and Arron Oberholser.

Mediate, who slumped badly the last two years because of back problems, began with a 68 and doggedly held on Friday with a 73.

"I'm very pleased," he said. "I would have been very happy with a 74, to be honest."

Along with Singh and Mediate, the only other player to break 70 in the first round was Oberholser, a Masters rookie who shot 69. He struggled down the stretch, making a bogey at 16, a double bogey at 17 and signing for a 75 that left him six strokes behind Campbell.

Crenshaw was - and remains - the tournament's biggest stunner. Coming into this year, he had not broken par at Augusta since a closing 68 at the 1995 Masters clinched his second green jacket. Heck, the 54-year-old Texan hasn't even made the cut in nine years.

That streak is over. Crenshaw shot a 71 on Thursday, and he showed no signs of fading in the second round.

Not bad, considering he was talking retirement at the beginning of the week.

"If the course stays dry, it let's a few more people (in). There's a way to play it," Crenshaw said. "The odds are against someone contending that way. But I've been proud of the way I've played mostly."

So was Charles Coody, who goodbye to the Masters with a respectable round. The 1971 champion decided to make this his final Masters at age 68 - a decision that seemed appropriate when he opened with an ugly 89, the worst score of the first round by five strokes.

But Coody bounced back to shoot a 74 on Friday, rolling in a 15-foot putt to save par at the 18th hole.

"I have a lot of respect for the tournament," he said. "That's one of the reasons I won't play anymore. I don't want to embarrass the tournament."

David Duval was certainly embarrassed by his first two holes. Coming off a miserable 84 on Thursday, he had double bogey at No. 1, then put up a quintuple-bogey 10 at the next hole after driving into a hazard.

Then, the world's former No. 1 player made a stunning recovery, playing the final 12 holes at 5 under - including a 32 on the back side that gave him a 75. It wasn't nearly enough to make the cut, but maybe gave him hope for the future.

Among the others heading home: Chris DiMarco, who lost to Woods in a Masters playoff one year ago; three-time winner Nick Faldo; two-time winner Bernhard Langer; reigning U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell; Colin Montgomerie; and John Daly.