For many of the 96 players who got their first glimpse at a revamped Augusta National Golf Club course this week, the consensus was that the so-called rough was little more than an annoyance.
But in Thursday's opening round of the 63rd Masters Tournament, the second cut of grass which lines the fairways appeared to be a bit more troublesome than many thought.
``The course changes are significant, about 1 1/2 shots more than previous years,'' said 1994 Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, who fired an opening-round, 2-under-par 70. ``The most significant is the second cut of rough. It is very, very tough. Anything under par or par is a good score.''
During practice rounds earlier this week, much of the focus centered around the lengthening of Nos. 2 and 17 and the addition of trees between the 15th and 17th fairways.
Many considered the extra length at the 425-yard par-4 17th to be the most dramatic change of all. Moving the tee back 25 yards makes for a narrower tee shot and makes Ike's Tree more difficult to clear.
Though some indeed found trouble there Thursday, the rough clearly was the most problematic course feature of the day.
``The rough is probably the biggest obstacle for me,'' said Scott McCarron, who finished tied for the lead in the clubhouse with an opening-round 3-under-par 69. ``I missed the fairway a few times by a foot or two and had some difficult shots in. Every time you're in the rough, it's a guessing game because the greens are tougher and tougher.''
Ernie Els was one of many who complained of flyers out of the rough, but first-round playing partner Davis Love III, who enters today's second round tied for the lead, said the second cut may have helped the two-time U.S. Open champion on No. 14.
``Els on No. 14 hit it right and it got caught up in the rough, not a big deal, and it was headed for the big tree and it just stopped,'' Love said. ``Now he still has a hard shot to the pin, and he ended up making bogey. But at least he wasn't off in the woods.''
Els said the rough made club selection more difficult.
``I was trying to play the same club off the tees hitting 3-woods on Nos. 13, 14 and 15,'' the 29-year-old South African said. ``With the second cut of rough, the ball comes out flying more. It definitely made it more difficult.''
After finishing the first round one shot off the lead with a 2-under-par 70, Colin Montgomerie also said the rough was the most bothersome change. With the increased likelihood of catching a flyer, it makes approach shots into the firm Augusta National greens that much more daunting.
``They (the course changes) don't affect you if you're on the fairway, but what does affect you is if you're in the rough,'' Montgomerie said. ``It is so very difficult if you're in the rough. Very difficult, because you have to hit it a certain distance but not too far. That's your problem because you lose control.''
Thanks to a tailwind at the players' backs off the tee, the altered No. 17 caused few problems Thursday, but Montgomerie said playing into the wind on the 17th could make things a bit hairy.
``I'd hate to play that hole into the wind we have today,'' Montgomerie said. ``When they put the pin on the front over the bunker, it gets very difficult, obviously. Four's a good score. You'll find a lot of fives at 17. Probably not today because the pin's back. But when the pin's at the front, very, very difficult. Very difficult.''
Greg Norman, who shot 71, said the hole changed dramatically after Thursday's late afternoon rain delay, with the wind coming into the players' faces.
``It changed from a driver and 9-iron into a driver and 6-iron,'' said Norman, who got up and down from behind the green for par.
McCarron said that for himself and most of the longer hitters, the rough will be more of a problem at No. 17 than Ike's Tree.
``I really don't have any problem hitting it over the Eisenhower tree and there are the other little trees that are in the fairway that can come into play, but I'm usually driving past those anyway,'' said McCarron, whose drives averaged 279.5 yards on Thursday. ``But the rough is right there where I like to drive. Especially with that left pin today, you've got to go to the left side of the fairway. Now it's just a guessing game.''
Playing in his 35th Masters, 1976 champion Ray Floyd hailed the change at No. 17.
``I think 17 is going to be one of the great finishing holes instead of being the very nebulous, very birdieable type hole with players' length today,'' said Floyd, who finished at 2-over-par 74. ``If you hit it bad, it's going to stay on the wall back where we used to play from.''
Some find rough a bit tough