Chad Campbell is a student of golf and a quick study, but he acknowledges he doesn’t quite know what to make of the lessons he has learned from his previous experiences at Augusta National Golf Club.

Kenny Perry can help Campbell on that score because Perry, 48, knows all about applying life’s lessons.

Campbell and Perry share the 36-hole lead in the Masters at 9-under-par 135. Campbell added a second-round 70 Friday to his opening 65. Perry had 67 in a bogey-free round which included a birdie-birdie start and three more birdies on the back ..

Campbell has been in this position before. He was the second-round leader at the Masters in 2006 before eventually finishing tied for third behind Phil Mickelson. Campbell is confident knowledge gained from that experience will help him over the final two rounds.

"I don't really know exactly what I learned, but I know it's nice that I've been in that position before," Campbell said. "Even in other majors that I have contended, not so many times, but I have had a few times I've been in contention and had a chance to win the tournaments.

"There's still a long ways to go, but it's definitely nice to not be on foreign ground."

Campbell and Perry are one stroke ahead of Argentina’s Angel Cabrera (68-68—136). Another two shots back is Todd Hamilton (68-70). Cabrera (U.S. Open, 2007) and Hamilton (British Open, 2004) have major championships on their resumes.

Anthony Kim, a Masters rookie, moved into contention with 65, a round that featured a record 11 birdies, one more than Nick Price had in the third round in 1986. Kim shot 65 and is at 140, four-under-par.

Four-time Masters Champion Tiger Woods shot even par 72 with a bogey five at the final round and is at 142, two-under-par.

Campbell was runner-up at the 2003 PGA Championship to Shaun Micheel. The Texan also has a victory in the Tour Championship and a tie for sixth at The Players, both in 2003.

At one point in Friday’s round, Campbell had a six-stroke lead. He gave two shots back after reaching 11-under-par on the 10th hole and Perry made a back nine charge with 33.

"That was probably one of the greatest rounds I've ever played, to be honest," Perry said. "I just didn't have any nerves. I was so comfortable out there. I don't know why. I don't know how to explain it."

"But it was just easy. I mean, I knew I was going to hit the fairway. I knew I was going to be able to attack the pins."

This is Perry’s ninth appearance in the Masters. He has missed the cut on five occasions with a tie for 12th in 1995 his best finish. Perry, 48, has blossomed late in his career and he’s done it by following his well-nurtured instincts.

"Everything is a bonus now, it really is," Perry said. "I’m just going through each and every day enjoying life a little bit. (But) I’m not taking it casually. I understand what I'm trying to do, what I'm trying to accomplish. I really believe I can win this Tournament. Will I? I don't know."

Perry was criticized last year for passing on the first three major championships to focus on the Ryder Cup in his native Kentucky. It was that important to him and he was true to his beliefs. And then he went out and played outstanding golf at the Ryder Cup to help the United States to a rare victory over Europe.

"I can’t express to you what the Ryder Cup meant to me," he said.

Now he has a new mind-set.

"Definitely," he said. "I told you earlier this year I was going to play in all four majors. The Presidents Cup isn’t in Kentucky."

No, it’s in California. Besides, Perry has another incentive.

"Dad always said, ‘You need to win that Green Jacket,’" Perry said.

Woods appeared on the leaderboard for the first time at 3:20 p.m., following a birdie four at the 15th hole that put him at 3-under-par. He saved par with an eight-foot putt at the 16th before a bogey at the last dropped him back again to 2-under-par, where he started the second round.

"I need to play a little better than I have," Woods said. "Make a few more putts and get it going."

Woods is seven strokes behind the co-leaders. In 2005, he won his fourth Green Jacket after beginning six shots behind Chris DiMarco. That was the year of Woods' unlikely chip-in at the 16th hole in the final round and led to a playoff he won on the first extra hole. It also included a Masters record streak of seven straight birdies in the third round, beginning at the seventh hole.

Kim was all smiles after his record performance.

"I really don’t know what happened," he said. "The putter got hot and my confidence kept getting a little bit bigger, a little bit better every hole. When the putter is hot nothing gets in your way. I’m definitely getting the speed of the greens a little bit easier. At the same time it’s going to be a totally different golf course (Saturday and Sunday)."

Kim is "absolutely" thinking about winning.

"If I keep this up, I like my chances," he said.

Hamilton won the British Open in 2004 at Royal Troon when he defeated Ernie Els in a four-hole playoff. He also won the Honda Classic in the same year and, at age 38, was named the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year. He has won 14 international titles.

In his five previous Masters appearances, Hamilton’s best finish was a tie for 36th last year.

Hamilton, who opened with 68, was still at four-under-par for the Tournament when he arrived at the 15th hole Friday.

"I made a really good par (putt) on the hole before," he said. "Doing that gave me a little extra momentum, a little extra incentive to hit a good drive there and maybe a chance to reach that green.

"I had to kind of hook it around those trees on the left there, and hit a really good shot. Fortunately, the greens have been very receptive the last two days, because I think the shot I hit years past would have trickled over the back of the green."

The approach shot left Hamilton with a 25-foot putt for eagle. He got an excellent read from Steve Flesch, who was putting on the same line.

"I got to watch his ball and made a good read, hit a good putt, and luckily it went in," Hamilton said.

The eagle three took him to six-under-par where he stayed following a bogey at the 16th and a birdie at the 18th.

Hamilton attributes his fine play this week to successful driving

"I've been driving the ball well for a while, knock on wood," he said. "My putting has not been all that great. My irons haven't been that great. My short game has not been that great. But it seems my driving has stayed quite well the last two days, and it seems like each one of those other three components has gotten a little bit better."

Hamilton has something else going for him. He lives in Texas and learned his golf mostly in Oklahoma, places where it’s about hitting the ball low and dealing with breezes. He won the British Open that way and when the wind was swirling Friday he was in his element.

"I would have said that if you would have had a lot of wind yesterday; today, yes," he said.