Augusta may bare its teeth in dry weather

The world's leading golfers should this week finally experience the fundamental changes to the Augusta National course they have heard about for three years but have yet to tackle because of bad weather.

Submerged under torrential rains since 2001, the monstrous 7,290-yard layout is expected to surface this week amid sunshine and warm temperatures, baring its teeth to a Masters field that has expressed both curiosity and caution.

"I'm curious to see if it's actually going to be dry because we have yet to play Augusta since they have lengthened the golf course and changed the different tee angles and stuff," said Tiger Woods, Masters champion in 1997, 2001 and 2002.

"We have not played it dry since Ollie (Jose Maria Olazabal) won in '99. It's been wet every year. If it gets dry and long it's going to be one heck of a test. I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out, no doubt about that. Everyone is."

Before the 2002 Masters the course designed by Bobby Jones and Alister Mackenzie was dramatically and controversially lengthened by 285 yards, the unprecedented changes designed to counter the advances made in golf technology.

Over the past three years more than half of the holes have been altered, neutralising the long-hitters, putting a greater premium on accuracy and course management.

The tweaking continued this year when the par-four 11th, the lead in hole to infamous Amen Corner, had 36 pine trees added down the right side of the fairway making the National's toughest hole even more demanding.

Diluted by torrential rains, the full impact of the sweeping changes has never been felt.

But with weather forecasts calling for mostly sunny, warm conditions and only a small chance of thundershowers on Thursday on the horizon, the course is expected to finally provide golfers with the ultimate test for which it has been designed.

If the conditions do remain firm, fast and hard, some predict that the year's first major and the coveted green jacket could go to the man who can complete four rounds under par.

"It would be very difficult because you're hitting longer clubs into the greens and they're running very fast," said Germany's twice Masters champion and European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer. "A lot of guys will struggle to keep the ball on the green."