The changes made to toughen up Augusta National seemed to be paying off today, as Tiger Woods made an eight on a hole and players struggled to make pars on the opening day of the Masters.

A trio of 69s by Davis Love III, Scott McCarron and Brandel Chamblee, playing in his first Masters, held the lead with about a third of the field finished for the day.

"I did a good job today," said Love, who birdied 16 and 17. ``I'm just trying to stay calm and have some patience."

Patience was what Woods needed after making triple bogey at the eighth hole. Woods came back to birdie three straight holes on the back nine, however, and finished with an even-par 72.

Patience was needed by nearly everyone else in the field, too, as the use of threesomes instead of pairs on the first two days led to long rounds. Defending champion Mark O'Meara, who had a late tee time, took an hour to play three holes as his group continually waited between shots to hit.

In another departure from Masters tradition, groundskeepers were watering some greens between groups as the hot sun and breezy conditions combined to dry them out.

David Duval, the hottest player in golf, gave an early indication he would be a factor to win his first major, making birdies at the second and third holes to go 2-under.

Woods had an up-and-down beginning that saw him par only one of his first six holes, but was still 1-under when he ran into trouble at the par-5 eighth.

Woods hit his drive into the trees, put his second shot into an azalea bush and, after taking a penalty drop, took three more shots to get on the green. He then two-putted for an eight.

"This is how you lose a tournament," Woods said to the gallery after hitting into the bush.

Earlier, Augusta National's new rough caught the ceremonial drive of 97-year-old Gene Sarazen as the 63rd Masters got off to its traditional start.

The 1935 Masters winner, smartly dressed in knickers, joined former champions Sam Snead and Byron Nelson on the first tee of a course that underwent more changes than ever in an effort to harness golf's growing legion of long hitters.

All three of the ceremonial starters found the new rough, which was grown three-quarters of an inch deeper than previous years as part of changes that also included lengthening two holes and adding some pine trees to encourage greater accuracy.

"The tournament has begun," Masters chairman Hootie Johnson said.

Perfect weather conditions greeted the early players, but it got hot quickly despite a breeze blowing through Augusta National's tall pines.

The mid-80s heat took its toll on the first group of former champions playing in the tournament. Trudging up the 17th hole, 67-year-old Billy Casper had to stop and bend over to catch his breath. Doug Ford, 76, shuffled slowly down the fairway behind him, while Gay Brewer, 67, used his driver as a makeshift cane as he walked well behind.

Brewer had the best score of the group, an 80, while Casper shot 86 and Ford an 88.

"This is probably the toughest I've seen them place the pins on the first day," said Brewer, who had played in 36 previous Masters.

Masters officials reluctantly made their biggest course changes ever this year, fearful that shaved, undulating greens and tight fairways were no longer enough to help a course measuring under 7,000 yards fight off the assault on par.

Not everyone liked them.

"Bobby Jones would turn over in his grave," Gary Player said of the changes made to the 17th hole. Player made a double bogey on the second hole, where the tee also was moved back.

The course still looked much the same, except for the new light layer of rough that lines the expansive fairways.

But things might actually have improved for the big hitters by alterations that included toughening two par-5s and making the Eisenhower tree at No. 17 a potential nightmare for the shorter hitters.

Woods, whose 12-stroke win two years ago sparked the "Tiger-proofing" changes, was again a crowd favorite as he teed off in search of a second green jacket.

The oddsmakers favored Duval, though, who also is long off the tee and is riding a hot streak like golf hasn't seen since Johnny Miller was in his prime in the 1970s.

"I feel like I'm capable of winning," said Duval, who finished second last year when O'Meara sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win his first major.

An elite field of 96 -- bigger than usual because of changes in the selection process -- played in the first threesomes since 1962 to try to finish the day in timely fashion. They found a course with the usual slick greens and funny bounces, but also two new tee boxes as well as some strategically placed pine trees.

"They've made some changes and the course will be tougher," said Fred Couples, who won in 1992 and led on the final day last year before finishing tied with Duval for second. "There's no way they're going to be lower."

While golf fans were hoping for a Woods-Duval showdown that might spark a rivalry not seen since the days Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus dueled each other, there were several other contenders lurking just behind.

Els beat both Woods and Duval down the stretch to win at Los Angeles earlier this year, and the two-time U.S. Open champion has just the right combination of length and putting touch to be a contender.

"Everyone badly wants to win," Els said. ``I want to win this tournament."

Among those who won't win are Palmer, playing in a record-breaking 45th straight Masters, four of which he has won.

The 69-year-old Palmer, though, hasn't played past on the weekend in 15 years at Augusta National.

"Maybe lightning will strike on Friday and I'll make the cut," the ever-hopeful Palmer said.