Tough Augusta steals the show

For the opening three rounds of the year's first major, the normally inviting Georgia spring weather slowly gave way to near freezing temperatures and whipping winds adding bite to an already muscled up Augusta National.

The impact of changes made to the course in 2002 and 2005, including a lengthening of the layout by 440 yards, were dulled by rain and benign conditions. But when an icy wind swept across Augusta, America's most famous golf course bared its teeth.

Well-watered greens and tamer conditions for the final round on Sunday helped restore some respectable scoring as unheralded Zach Johnson held off Tiger Woods and South Africans Rory Sabbatini and Retief Goosen for a two-stroke win.

By the end of the week, though, not one player had finished under par with Johnson's four-day total matching the highest winning score in the tournament's history.

"Well, this is probably as dry as it was in '99," said Woods, said following the third round.

"Only difference is about 500 yards and put in about a billion trees and now we have rough out there.

"Aggressive? On this golf course? Not in these conditions. No.

"You just go ahead and plod along and try to put the ball in the right spot if you can; and if you can't, somehow just don't have any wrecks out there."

While Augusta National has continually tweaked its layout in an ongoing effort to keep up with the technological advances in the game, "plodding" and "Masters" are surely two words the guardians of Augusta would not want to hear in the same sentence.

At 7,445 yards, Augusta remains the third-longest course to serve as a major venue behind Whistling Straits and Medinah and Augusta chairman Billy Payne does not rule out more change in the future.

"I think we stay current by being students of the game," Payne said in his pre-tournament address.

"By being diligent and aware of the circumstances of the game; the increasing, incredible skills of the golfers; and we have determined, many of my predecessors before me, that we would do whatever it took to keep this course competitive to face the challenge of those increasing skills.

"It's something that we've done historically."

The 71st Masters produced few of the sights and sounds so often associated with Augusta National.

The thrill and excitement generated by back-nine charges were replaced by conservative strategies with golfers growing ever more concerned about slipping back rather than moving forward.

"Even with no wind and perfect conditions, this is probably the toughest course in the world," said 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir. "With this, it's brutal.

"I think this tournament is about excitement, the roars of the crowd. Fuzzy Zoeller said it well when he said it sounds like a morgue out here. You don't hear any roars. All you hear is a little clapping for par putts."