Todd Hamilton loves the Masters, loves Augusta National Golf Club, and his annual April visit. He knows if he wants to return in 2010, rounds like Friday’s 70 are just what his needs.

Playing on the final-year of his five-year Masters exemption for winning the 2004 British Open, Hamilton put together his second solid round for a six-under-par 138 total, three back of early second-round leader Chad Campbell.

“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,” Hamilton said. “I wanted to have a chance to come back.”

He was even par at the turn after finishing the first round three shots behind Campbell’s lead. After a birdie on the 10th hole and a bogey on the 11th, he shot up the leaderboard with an eagle on the 15th after rolling in a 25-foot uphill putt.

“I’ve been driving the ball really well this year, Hamilton said. “I have a driver I really like. My putting, chipping and iron play hasn’t been that good, but it’s all been getting better.”

He made a bogey the par 3 16th, failing to get up and down from the bunker, but came back with a final hole birdie.

“On paper, this year hasn’t been very good, making only two of nine cuts, but I wasn’t at the point of losing all hope,” Hamilton said.

After winning the 2004 British Open at Royal Troon and being named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year at the age of 38 his game again fell on hard times.

Last year was the fourth straight season Hamilton finished outside the PGA Tour’s top 125 money list and the second straight year he failed to record a top-10 finish.

He considered returning to Japan, where he had enjoyed success before, but decided to stick with the PGA Tour and enjoy his final chance to play Augusta National.

“I didn’t come here with any expectations,” he said. “On paper, it doesn’t look good, but I wasn’t at the point I was going to quit playing the game.”

The Texas resident who played golf at the University of Oklahoma said he favors windy conditions like Friday’s.

“This is a course where we were lucky to have some wind on Thursday and more on Friday,” he said. “The greens are more receptive then they have been. On a scale of 10, I’d say the firmness is an eight and speed is an eight. You know it’s quick.”

After his slow start to his current season, Hamilton took last week off and did not touch a club for four days. He said that helped his first two rounds.

Since the top 16 finishers, including ties, gain invitations to the 2010 Masters, Hamilton is halfway to goal, but he said he wouldn’t mind a Green Jacket to go with his Claret Jug.