NEWS

AUGUSTA, Ga. – They've taken care of all the nostalgic farewells at Augusta National.

Goodbye, Gary Player. Raise a toast to Fuzzy Zoeller. And, just in case Greg Norman doesn't make it back, thanks for the memories, Great White Shark, however painful some of them might be.

Now, it's time to get down to the real business of this Masters.

Does Kenny Perry have what it takes to become the oldest winner in major championship history? Can Chad Campbell hang on to an Augusta lead the second time around? Will Anthony Kim's putter keep on smokin'?

And perhaps the most pressing issue of all: What's up with Tiger Woods?

The world's No. 1 player has spent two days plodding around the course, doing just enough to stay on the fringe of contention. For the third year in a row, he's showing none of the Tiger bravado at a place that's given him four of his 14 majors, preferring to play it safe rather than throwing caution to a steadily increasing breeze.

While that approach is keeping Woods in the mix (sort of), everyone keeps waiting for him to have a Tiger moment.

Instead, it was the 48-year-old Perry who played like the Woods of 1997. He kept pulling out his driver and wound up with a bogey-free, 5-under-par 67 Friday that looked downright easy, even as a swirling breeze kicked up and the greens got firmer and firmer.

"I feel like I can win," said Perry, tied for the lead with Campbell at 9-under 135. "If I can keep hitting all the fairways like I'm doing, it's going to make life a lot easier out there."

Perry is trying to become the oldest major champion ever. He's about four months older than Julius Boros when he won the 1968 PGA Championship. And to think, the Kentucky native thought he had found the pinnacle of his career last fall when he played on the winning U.S. Ryder Cup team in his native state.

Campbell got off to the best start in Masters history — five birdies in his first five holes Thursday — and he shook off a shaky back nine Friday to finish with a 70, rolling in a 25-foot birdie putt at No. 18.

He also knows what it feels like to be in this spot; he held the 36-hole lead in 2006 before fading on a rain-plagued weekend.

ELLE Macpherson isn't the only star spending Easter in Sydney. A slew of celebrities, both native and foreign, are planning to open their chocolate eggs in Australia this weekend.

While Hugh Jackman was back on the campaign trail yesterday en route to Korea to further spruik X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Rachel Griffiths, Eric Bana and Matthew McConaughey were already settling in for the break, with Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban still expected.

Having wrapped up work on family TV drama Brothers And Sisters earlier this year, Griffiths has been enjoying some downtime with her family before the August release of new flick Beautiful Kate, her first Aussie movie since Ned Kelly in 2003.

Quietly slipping into town almost two weeks ago with husband Andrew Taylor and children Banjo, 5, and Adelaide, 3, Griffiths, who is six months pregnant, has been enjoying lazy days by the water at their Palm Beach pile.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Los Angeles Angels rookie pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people were killed Thursday when a minivan ran a red light and struck their sports car.

Adenhart, 22, died after undergoing surgery, University of California, Irvine Medical Center spokesman John Murray said.

A fourth person remained hospitalized in critical condition.

The Angels confirmed Adenhart's death in a statement and said no other members of the Angels organization were involved in the accident.

"The Angels family has suffered a tremendous loss today. We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nick's family, friends' loved ones and fans," general manager Tony Reagins said.

The Angels have postponed their scheduled Thursday night game against the Oakland A's. Manager Mike Scioscia says the team will get together, however.

The team said Adenhart was survived by his parents, Jim and Janet.

"He lived his dream and was blessed to be part of an organization comprised of such warm, caring, and compassionate people," the family said in a statement issued through the team.

"The Angels were his extended family. Thanks to all of Nick's loyal supporters and fans throughout his career. He will always be in everyone's hearts forever."

Adenhart, of Silver Spring, Md., was the Angels' No. 3 starter. He threw six scoreless innings in Wednesday night's loss to Oakland in his fourth major-league start and first of the season.

Adenhart and three other people were in a silver Mitsubishi that was struck shortly before 12:30 a.m. by a minivan that ran a red light and also hit another vehicle, police said.

The sports car struck a light pole, killing three people inside.

Police Lt. Craig Brower said the minivan driver fled the crash scene and was captured a short time later. The driver was arrested and booked for investigation of felony hit-and-run.

Adenhart, a right-hander, earned a spot in the starting rotation on an injury-plagued Angels staff by impressing manager Mike Scioscia late in spring training.

The pitcher made his major league debut May 1 of last year, also against Oakland. He made two other starts, getting his only decision in a victory over the Chicago White Sox on May 12. He was 37-28 in the minor leagues from 2005-08, including 9-13 last year at Triple-A Salt Lake.

The Minnesota Twins held moment of silence before their game against the Seattle Mariners. Also, there was to be a moment of silence before the start of the Texas Rangers' home game against the Cleveland Indians.