Augusta, Ga. ? Rain returned to Augusta National.

And so did the thrills.

On an abbreviated but action-packed Saturday at the Masters, Chad Campbell played four holes without making a par – two birdies to expand his lead, two bogeys to nearly lose it – and remained atop the leaderboard with a growing list of major champions right behind him.

Storms softened the course and forced a four-hour delay in the third round, leaving Campbell only enough daylight to spend 40 minutes on a course that played nothing like the first two days.

It was just enough time to set the tone for a marathon today that is loaded with possibilities.

He was at 6 under par, one shot ahead of Tim Clark and Rocco Mediate.

Right behind was a forceful presence – defending champion Tiger Woods – in a position all too familiar.

Woods hit a wedge that spun back to two inches from the hole for a tap-in birdie on the third, and he caused the gallery to gasp with a pitch over the mounds and spun sideways when it neared the cup, stopping five feet away for another birdie on No. 8. That put him at 3 under through nine holes, three shots behind.

“I’m right there in the ballgame,” Woods said.

A year ago, Woods walked off the course four shots behind Chris DiMarco through nine holes, made four straight birdies Sunday morning and went into the final 18 holes with a three-shot lead.

This time, he has company.

Phil Mickelson birdied his first three holes, only to drop shots from the bunker on the next two to join Woods at 3 under, along with Padraig Harrington of Ireland. The other members of the “Big Five” – Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen – were at 2 under, along with Fred Couples and Players champion Stephen Ames.

Umbrella carrying patrons file off the course after a blast of the weather horn suspended third round play of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Saturday, April 8, 2006.

And don’t rule out two other major champions – Mike Weir, at 1 under through 11 holes, or even Jim Furyk, one of only 11 players who managed to complete the third round.

Furyk got through 12 holes before thunder rumbled beyond the pines, suspending play for 4 hours, 5 minutes. He returned to a course that was softer, longer and more vulnerable to complete a 68 that put him at even-par 216.

Technically, that makes him the clubhouse leader.

“Depends what the other guys shoot,” Furyk said, dismissing the suggestion he was still in the hunt.

And much of that depends on the weather, which could make this Masters even more fickle. The forecast was for sunshine and wind in the morning, when the leaders had to finish the third round, followed by diminishing wind during the final round this afternoon.

Endurance figures to play a big role, too. Campbell and Mediate will have to play 32 holes, while everyone else within four shots of the lead play at least 27 holes. The third round is to resume at 6:45 a.m. today.

Then again, the fabled green jacket could make everyone forget about how much time they’re on the course.

“You’re talking about Sunday at the Masters,” said Stewart Cink, who was at even par through 12 holes. “I think adrenaline will keep everybody going enough to get through it. If endurance comes into play, or maybe fatigue, it will be after the tournament is over.”

For most of Saturday, it was a matter of getting started.

Woods hit a few balls on the practice range before the sirens blared to halt play. Mickelson went through his drill of hitting 100 putts in a three-foot circle. The leaders didn’t tee off until just before 6 p.m.

“I wish we could have played 18 holes in these conditions,” Els said.

Campbell won earlier this year at the Bob Hope Classic, and his two other PGA Tour titles – the Tour Championship and the Bay Hill Invitational – show he has the game.

Even so, his experience is lacking compared with those chasing him.

“Those guys do have more major championship experience with the winds,” Campbell said. “I’d like to start somewhere.”