AUGUSTA, Ga. — Four months ago, Trevor Immelman was resting in a hospital in South Africa after having a tumor removed.

He wakes up this morning as the leader at the halfway mark of the 72nd Masters, matching Thursday’s opening 68 on Friday for an 8-under-par 136 total and a one-stroke edge over Nashville native Brandt Snedeker. The dream leaderboard for avid Scrabble players also includes Steve Flesch, Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter, with each three shots off the lead.

Immelman developed a stomach parasite after last year’s Masters that resulted in him losing 20 pounds, and surgery for the tumor wedged between his 11th rib and diaphragm took place in December. The tumor turned out to be benign, but the experience left Immelman with a seven-inch scar in his back and a new outlook.

Trevor Immelman of South Africa pumps his fist after making par on the 13th hole during the second round of the 2008 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday, April 11, 2008. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

“I’m so competitive, and I’ve played this game since I was 5 years old, and all I ever wanted to do was win golf tournaments,” Immelman said Friday. “I kind of felt it was like a speed bump, because I wanted to keep going, but I realized that it can get taken from you real fast. I feel like I’ve been loaned a talent, and I’m going to try and do as well as I can.”

Labeled by fellow South African Gary Player as the closest golfer to Ben Hogan in ball-striking, Immelman has nine birdies and a lone bogey through 36 holes. He also has a seven-stroke lead on four-time Masters champion and world No. 1 Tiger Woods.

Woods opened Friday with a birdie on No. 1 to get to 1 under but quickly gave it back with a bogey 6 at No. 2. He got to 1 under again with a birdie at No. 17 and saved par at No. 18 with an up-and-down from the 10th fairway.

“It was quite a grind out there with those conditions,” Woods said. “The wind was blowing and swirling all over the place, and I was backing off shot after shot. It certainly wasn’t a fast front nine. We played nine in exactly three hours, so it was a day of patience for sure.”

Woods has rallied to win six tournaments after trailing by seven or more strokes at the midway mark, but never in a major. He was six shots back of Chris DiMarco at the 2005 Masters before rallying to win in a playoff.

Of the 13 major titles Woods has won, he has led or shared the lead in every one.

“I’m in good shape,” he said. “I’m obviously seven back, but we’ve got some tougher conditions coming in, so I need to stay patient. On this golf course, you can make up shots quickly. You’ve just got to hang in there.”

Said Poulter: “Who knows with Tiger? He can go out there and put two 65s on the board, I know that. We’ve all seen it before.”

With rain looming today and colder conditions Sunday, there are 19 players under par. Last year, when the first three rounds were played in the wind and cold, only Tim Clark, Brett Wetterich and Vaughn Taylor were under par after 36 holes.

Mickelson, who has won the last two even-numbered-year Masters, put himself in the running for a third with a bogey-free 68. Three of his four birdies occurred on the front nine, a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 17 highlighting his finish.

“If there was any one key, I think that I played for par on a lot of holes and was able to make par and scatter some birdies in there,” Mickelson said. “The front nine played much easier than the back nine when the wind picked up. I feel pretty good. I would rather be leading and would like to have some shots in hand, but I’ve hit the ball well and I’ve been playing well.”

Justin Rose, who shared the first-round lead with Immelman, had the tournament’s most notable meltdown when he pitched into the water once at No. 15 and nearly twice. He took an 8 on the hole and finished with a 6-over 78 to stand 2 over for the tournament.

“It was a 20-second lapse of concentration,” Rose said. “I should have gone for the green and wound up laying up way too close to that green. I left myself with a tricky lie and with no yardage at all, and that was hard. I struggled with my concentration today. It was such a long round.

“Obviously it’s not going to be the Saturday I was looking forward to.”

Defending champion Zach Johnson is also 2 over, following Thursday’s 70 with a 76.

Immelman missed the cut in half of his eight events this season while recovering from the surgery and subsequent layoff. He entered the Masters averaging 30.5 putts per round (196th on the PGA Tour) but has averaged 27.0 through two rounds.

“Obviously this is pretty special,” Immelman said. “Last year, guys go through that. I got a little unfortunate with the stomach bug, so that’s just one of those things — bad timing. Yeah, this is special. To shoot two 68s in the first two days is probably beyond my expectations, so I’m pretty thrilled right now.”

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