Greg Owen of England lines up a putt on the ninth green in Friday’s second round of the Verizon Heritage golf tournament in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Owen carded a two-under-par 69 for a two-round 135 to grab a share of the lead. (AP)

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, South Carolina (AP) - A grueling Masters finally caught up to K.J. Choi at the Verizon Heritage, and Jim Furyk, Charles Howell III and Greg Owen took advantage to share the lead after Friday’s second round.

All three were level at 7-under 135, a stroke ahead of a group that included two-time Verizon champ Boo Weekley and Stuart Appleby.

Choi, who played alongside Tiger Woods all four rounds at Augusta National, opened with a 64 on Thursday.

However, he couldn’t maintain that pace and fell three shots off the lead after a 74 at Harbour Town Golf Links.

“Yeah, the fatigue is setting in right now,” said Choi, who finished equal fourth with Woods last week at the Masters. “But no excuses today, I had a tough time reading the greens.”

Furyk didn’t have Choi’s problem entering Harbour Town. “I didn’t play enough to get tired,” he said about Augusta.

The world’s sixth-ranked player missed the Masters’ cut for just the second time in 14 appearances.

Furyk, whose round ended just as Choi teed off, expected the South Korean to continue the strong play from last week, when large galleries that followed the group on Augusta’s grounds.

Choi, though, quickly fell back on Friday when he drove out of bounds on No. 11, then put a tee shot in the water on No. 14, both for bogeys.

After a double-bogey 6 when he failed to get out of a bunker on No. 18, Choi trailed by three. He held things together with an even-par final nine to remain in contention.

“I’m not that far behind,” said Choi, seeking his first PGA Tour win since 2008.

Howell moved level with Furyk with a birdie on No. 18, rolling in a 22-footer from off the green.

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” he said.

Owen moved to 7 under after putting his approach on the par-5 fifth hole within 2 feet for birdie, then made par the rest of the way.

The most intriguing surges may have come from Weekley, Appleby, and 18-year-old US Amateur champion An Byeong-hun.

Weekley turned into a golf folk hero with wins here in 2007 and 2008, fans drawn to his folksy demeanor as much as his game. An injury last year at The Players Championship led to a month off and problems once he returned.

Weekley hoped his favorite tour venue might provide the missing spark to his game. It looked it had so far.

He posted his second 68, the first time all year he opened with two sub-70 rounds.

This is An’s third PGA Tour event after missing cuts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Masters. He used an eagle on the par-5 15th and birdies on the fifth and sixth holes to move within a stroke of the lead. However, he went 3-over par his final three holes to fall back.

Appleby hasn't played Harbour Town since 1998 when he felt it wise to take a break after typically stressful Masters. Appleby didn't qualify for Augusta National this time, opening a week on his schedule.

Still, Harbour Town has never really suited Appleby until now.

The 67 was his lowest round of the year. It's also the first time in 11 events this season he's had two rounds in the 60s.

"Maybe the claustrophobic feel of the course makes it a bit sharper with your targets,'' he said.

Furyk knows Harbour Town's Jekyll-and-Hyde nature too well.

He was second at the Verizon Heritage in 2005 and 2006, and fourth two years ago. Then again, he also missed cuts here in 2007 and 2009. "It seems to be feast or famine for me,'' he said.

"Hopefully, this year it's feast.''