By David Westin
Staff Writer
Augusta Chronicle

If necessary, Curtis Strange is ready to pull out the rain suit again on the Augusta National Golf Club's par-5 13th hole and try to splash his way to a Masters victory.

For the first time in six years, Strange will at least have that option.

The water level of the tributary of Rae's Creek which runs in front of the 13th green has been lowered for the 60th Masters, making it possible for golfers to play out of the creek again.

Starting with the 1989 Masters, the water level was raised and what had been a trickle of water through rocks and a sandbar became a pond. Unless a shot nestled on the bank of the creek, a golfer's ball went to a watery grave.

One of the most memorable images of the 1980s in the Masters is the sight of Strange, then the leader of the 1985 tournament, donning a rain suit in the final round and failing to escape from the creek on No. 13 on his first try. He emerged with a bogey and eventually lost by two shots to Bernhard Langer.

``I just think it's exciting if somebody takes their shoes off, puts on the rain suit and goes down after it,'' Strange said. ``I think it's part of the golf tournament and always has been. It was too black and white when you filled it with water. I like some of that gray area where a guy can go down after it.''

The Augusta National hired architect Tom Fazio of Hendersonville, N.C., to return the creek to its pre-1989 level. The work took place last summer when the course, which is open from mid-October to late May, was closed.

``It's history what happened there at 13 and I was shocked when they changed it in 1989,'' Paul Azinger said.

``I'm glad to see they've restored it back to the way it used to be,'' Azinger said. ``It really adds to the tradition of the championship. Now if a guy hits it in there he's wondering when he's walking up if he can play it, the gallery's wondering whether he can play it and if he does go down there and plays it, they're wondering if he can get it out.''

In the six years since the water level was raised on No. 13, fewer golfers have gambled and gone for the green in two shots.

``I think you'll see a little more aggressive play because there's always a chance to have a shot if it does go down in the creek,'' Strange said. Not everyone is in favor of the return to the past.

``I liked it when you couldn't hit it out of there," said John Daly. "If you hit a ball short of that green, you deserve to go in the water, right? Now I've said that, I'll probably hit it short of the creek the next time I play it.''

Fuzzy Zoeller, Daly's good friend and regular practice round playing partner, disagrees.

``I think that's part of the game to see guys go down there and hitch up their belts and be like he-men and hit the ball out of the water,'' Zoeller said. ``That's fun.''

Not only is the excitement back in the 13th hole, so is the element of luck.

``Some guys could hit the same bad shot and one ends up on a piece or dirt or grass and the other one's in the water,'' Langer said. ``One you can play and you might make eagle or birdie and the other one you can't. There's always a certain element of that in golf anyway.''

``There is a tremendous amount of luck in every golf tournament,'' Azinger said. ``A lot of times the luckiest guy wins. Every tournament I've ever won I was lucky - every one. You think Jose's (Maria Olazabal) ball staying up on No. 15 in 1994 wasn't luck? Or Fred's (Couples) ball on No. 12 when he won in 1992?''