MASTERS NOTEBOOK: BETTER THAN `LESSER-KNOWN'.

Byline: Karen Crouse Daily News Staff Writer

At 22, it was clear to Scott McCarron that he wasn't good enough to be a professional golfer. Eleven years later, the former UCLA Bruin has put himself in a position to win golf's first (and in the eyes of many, foremost) major.

McCarron sits alone in second at the halfway point of the Masters, one shot behind Jose Marie Olazabal and his 8-under-par 136.

The low 12 golfers after the first two rounds include 10 players with at least one major title to their name and two ``lesser-knowns,'' as one writer delicately described McCarron and Brandel Chamblee to McCarron's face.

``I don't consider myself a lesser-known,'' said McCarron, who carded a 4-under-par 68 to go along with his opening 69. ``When I'm playing with (Greg) Norman or (Fred) Couples, I feel I'm as good as them. You have to believe that or you don't belong out here.''

Lest anyone continued to doubt his credentials, McCarron rattled them off.

``I finished 10th at Augusta (in 1996), I finished 10th at the U.S. Open (in 1997), I finished 10th at the PGA Championship (also in 1997).''

Not bad for a guy who considered himself washed up as a golfer in 1988. That was the year he graduated from UCLA, put to rest his dream of becoming a pro and went into the apparel business with his father in Sacramento.

It was three years before he picked up a long putter and revived his dream. He played on the Canadian tour for a year, qualified for the PGA Tour in 1994 and since has won twice, in New Orleans and Atlanta.

``I actually was a pretty good player in college,'' McCarron said. ``Maybe my heart just wasn't in it.''

McCarron walked away from UCLA with a degree in history and a friend for life in fellow golfer Brandt Jobe. Jobe was McCarron's fraternity brother and the best man at his wedding, so it figures there wouldn't be much separating the two at an event as momentous as this.

And indeed, six strokes is all that stands between them. Jobe, who is making his first Masters appearance, is at 143 after shooting 72-71.

``For him and I to sit here, two college drinking buddies, and walk down the fairways of Augusta, it's quite a thrill for both of us,'' McCarron said.

Great groove: No one this week has needed fewer strokes to get around the front nine than Jay Haas did Friday. He made the turn in 4-under-par 32.

His round started inauspiciously, with a bogey 5 at No. 1.

But Haas, who has one of his sons carrying his bag this week, rebounded with a birdie at No. 2 and then got into a glorious groove, birdieing holes 6, 7, 8 and 9.

``I wanted to get back into the tournament and I feel like I did today,'' said Haas, who opened with a 2-over 74.

Haas fell off his torrid pace a tad down the stretch, giving back one stroke to card a 3-under 69 for the day.

It has been that kind of week for Haas at Augusta National; he has played the first nine holes in 5 under par and the the back nine in 4 over.

``I'm just not playing the back nine very well,'' Haas said. ``No explanation other than I'm not hitting shots at the right time.''

This is Haas' 18th appearance here. His 69 was his best accounting at Augusta National since his 64 in the second round in 1995.

Faldo's failings: Nick Faldo has his own golf institute in Orlando. He might want to consider taking his name off the masthead, if only temporarily. His play of late hasn't exactly provided a ringing endorsement for the school.

Faldo, a three-time Masters champion, followed an opening-round 80 with a 1-over 73 to miss his third straight Masters cut. The last time he played here over the weekend was in 1996, when he breezed to a win on the wings of Greg Norman's collapse.

Since then Faldo has won just once on the PGA Tour (in L.A., in 1997). He hasn't had a top-10 finish in a major since his fourth-place showing at the 1996 British Open and he has gone a year-and-a-half without a top-10 finish on the PGA Tour.

``It's a fine line at the moment, isn't it?'' said Faldo, who pronounced his game fairly sound technically even if he doesn't have much to show for it in the way of results.

Immelman with Singh: Nineteen-year old amateur Trevor Immelman made the cut with a two-day total of plus-4, helping his cause considerably with a 4-under showing on the par-5s.

Immelman will be paired today with Vijay Singh, the winner of the last major of 1998 (the PGA Championship). Singh stuck around for the weekend, no thanks to his putter. He had 31 putts on Thursday and 37 on Friday on his way to a two-day total of 4-over-par 148.

``My putting is awful right now,'' he conceded. ``I feel like I'm going to make everything when I stand over (the putts). But I'm always worried about where the ball could end up if I don't stroke it just right and that makes me very defensive. If I can conquer that, I'll be all right.''

Also: LPGA star Helen Alfredsson is here this week, doing commentary for Swedish television. She has played the course once, carding a 78. . . . In 1998 only seven players survived the cut in all four majors. They were Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Brad Faxon, John Huston, Mark O'Meara, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson. Each gave himself a chance to repeat the feat this year by qualifying to play the final two rounds here.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, 2 Boxes

Photo: UCLA alumnus Scott McCarron is pleased to be at Augusta with a college buddy, Brandt Jobe.

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Box: (1) SECOND-ROUND SCORES

(2) TODAY'S PAIRINGS