Players will try to master changes at Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- David Duval was bending over to fix his pitch mark Sunday on the 11th green when one of the members at Augusta National, Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles, called to him from the 12th tee.

"What club did you hit in there, David?" Broyles asked.

"A 7-iron," Duval replied.

Duval straightened, looked up at Broyles and said with a smile, "That's what you guys wanted, isn't it?"

That's what the Masters got, a major championship in which players have to drive the ball better than ever and hit longer clubs into the greens.

Duval played the front nine Saturday and the back nine Sunday, completing his first full round since Augusta National went through its biggest renovation by adding 285 yards, shifting tees, stretching bunkers and reducing some of the slope in the fairways.

How extensive are the changes?

His caddie, Mitch Knox, carried two yardage books.

For the first time in a major, Duval has a 7-wood in his bag. He plans to use it on the par-5 13th, which has been lengthened by 25 yards. The 7-wood gives him higher trajectory and will replace the 2-iron; in previous years, Duval had no more than 5-iron into the green.

Indeed, the biggest change for Duval was the numbers of the clubs he kept hitting.

Duval usually hits a 3-wood on the 14th hole and has nothing more than an 8-iron into a green that requires a nearly perfect shot to get close to the flag. Duval belted a driver and had a 7-iron in his hands -- until Knox gave him the yardage.

"Guess this isn't going to do me much good," Duval said, taking out the 6-iron. It came up just short and rolled back down a massive slope.

He hit two balls for just about every shot, usually a driver off the tee. Duval used to pull driver from the bag only eight times during a round at Augusta. Now, he'll do it on four more holes,, hitting less clubs on only two, not including the par 3s.

"They've made it much more difficult," he said. "You've got to hit more drivers, and you have to think a lot more about where it's going."

Even though the tournament starts in just four days, members are allowed to play the course on Sunday, just like any other weekend.

"That's the great thing about here," Duval said. "This is part of a tournament week, and I'm waiting on the 10th tee letting three or four groups of members play through. It's really cool to be out here with those folks. You get to know them."

Of course, the members weren't playing the tees all the way back.

Duval predicted that Augusta National will use up to 70 percent of the additional length, although he played it as far back as possible to get an idea of what shots he'll have to play.