Players struggle to master Augusta

Spectators at the Masters did not have to wait that to see for themselves how much tougher Augusta National is now.

Four of the first six players to tee off in the 70th staging of the tournament were unable to reach the fairway bunker 300 yards out and one of them – American Olin Browne – had no view of the green for his second shot.

Browne, who then found sand with his long-iron approach, bogeyed the 455-yard hole while playing partners Lucas Glover and Rod Pampling two-putted for par.

Six holes have been lengthened since last year’s event, making the 7,445-yard course the second longest in major history behind Whistling Straits, the venue for the 2004 US PGA championship.

Former world number one David Duval, showing signs this year of coming out of a slump that sent him outside the world’s top 500 and out of golf altogether for seven months, pulled his drive, could not make the green and bogeyed as well.