The changes at Augusta National Golf Club are worth the hype they have generated, with hundreds of yards added to a course that should favor long hitters.

That's good news for players like Tiger Woods, John Daly, David Duval and Phil Mickelson. It's not as comforting to guys like Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer and Brad Faxon.

"I'm betting on the guy that's 20 yards longer," Duval said.

Since Woods won last year's title at 16-under -- the third-best score in Masters history -- nine of the holes were changed, increasing the total yardage from 6,985 to 7,270.

The result has been an emphasis on distance off the tee, which will give players a better angle into lightning-fast greens that have been Augusta's calling card.

Good approach shots at Augusta used to settle no more than 12 feet from the pins. Woods said it's now between 20-30 feet.

"I hope some of the fans and you guys appreciate that," the best player in the world said. "Because that's going to be a lot different than, I think, what it used to be in the past."

The most significant changes are to Nos. 1, 14 and 18.

An early disaster could spell doom for the field, which will face an additional 20-25 yards at the 435-yard first hole and a fairway bunker that extends 10-15 yards toward the green.

The hole plays uphill with trees to the left, making for a difficult approach to a tiny putting surface.

"On 1 you hit it left of the green and you're dead," Daly said.

The 14th green has gone from a 400-yard dogleg left to a stiff 440-yard challenge, with one of the most difficult greens on the course awaiting approach shots.

Then there's the 465-yard 18th, where the tournament could be decided. Tees were moved back some 60 yards, bunkers were expanded and trees were added to the left of the fairway.

Woods said the one-shot lead he had there last year will be a little harder to protect.

"But if you're in the clubhouse and you're one back, you've got a little bit better feeling that you might get into a playoff than you did before," he added.

Also tinkered with were Nos. 7-11 and 13, meaning half of Augusta's holes are longer. That favors no one as much as Daly, the longest hitter in PGA Tour history.

"It's a lot harder than it has been in the past," said Daly, who hasn't cracked the top 25 here since tying for third in 1993. "And I think that's probably good for me."

Still, this is Augusta, and long drives will be only as good as the short games that follow. The player that can best combine the two will win this week.

"I would say it has helped out the longer hitter," aid Duval, a two-time runner-up. "But if you are a player who is a medium hitter who is striking the ball well, I think his chances are very good, as well."

"The greens are pretty much the same," added Mickelson, who was third here last year and still is seeking his first major title. "And that's where the biggest factor is, on and around the greens."

Woods, who has ranked first in driving distance in five of his seven Masters appearances, is the best at combining length with a masterful short game. But even he knows this week will be a stiff test.