A month ago, Woody Austin made a special trip to play Augusta National Golf Club. He wanted to see the changes made since his lone Masters Tournament appearance in 1996.

Augusta National will look new to Woody Austin, who is playing the Masters for the first time since 1996. He went back to the course early to figure out how to handle all the changes there. (Jackie Ricciardi/Staff)

Now he knows what's in store for him this week.

"I just wanted to get an idea of how different it was so I didn't get there and play Monday (of Masters Week) and go, 'Oh, my God,' " Austin said.

Austin knew Augusta National had been busy adding yardage during his time away. But seeing it in person was an eye-opener.

"It was amazing how long it played," he said.

"I wore out my 4-iron and rescue club all day. I said, 'Wow.' Not to mention the depth of the fairway bunkers. I looked in that fairway bunker on No. 1 and said, 'How are you going to get out of there?' "

After Austin returned to his Derby, Kan., home, he dug up his yardage book from the 1996 Masters, where he shot 79-74--153 to miss the cut by seven shots.

"It was kind of interesting, the changes," he said. "Basically, they made every hole longer. They haven't done much to the greens."

Austin said only four holes -- Nos. 3, 6, 12 and 16 -- weren't changed.

"That's not many holes. That's why it's almost 600 yards longer. That's a big change," Austin said.

Actually, the 7,445-yard course is "only" 520 yards longer than when Austin last played in the Masters.

Austin thought the biggest change was on the par-4 seventh hole, which went from 360 yards in 1995 to a robust 450 now.

"I had in my yardage book that I used to hit 2-iron, 9-iron there, and now I had to hit driver, 5-iron," Austin said.

"They added 90 yards from the last time I played it. What is that? Seven clubs longer. That's a lot."

It didn't take Austin long to formulate a game plan.

"There isn't going to be too much strategy involved," he said. "I have to hit driver pretty much on every hole. It's going to be a matter of, can I putt those greens? Can I get those greens down? That's my weakness when it comes to this game, especially when the greens are that fast and that undulating."

Austin finally made it back to the Masters after a banner year in 2007, when he won for the first time since 2004, earned more than $2.8 million and was a motivational spark as the United States won the Presidents Cup.

He met six Masters qualifications -- tournament winner, qualifier for the Tour Championship, top-30 on the season-ending money list (he was 15th), top-50 in the world ranking at the end of last year, top four in the PGA Championship (he was second), and top-50 in the world ranking the week before the Masters.

Austin's belly flop into a pond during the Presidents Cup overshadowed the fact his only loss in five matches was to U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera in singles.

"I'm more mature. I probably understand my game better, but I was playing better back then," Austin said, referring to the 1996 Masters. "The problem I had that week was I made all the rookie mistakes."

His goal this year is to make the 2008 Ryder Cup team. A high finish in the Masters, where Ryder Cup points are doubled, would help.

"The Ryder Cup is the focal point for me," he said. "I've never played in one. I'd never played in the Presidents Cup and I had a hell of a lot of fun in the last one and I want to have as much fun at the Ryder Cup."

Austin hopes his play, and his attitude, catch the eye of U.S. captain Paul Azinger, who has a record four captain's picks this year.

"I hope everything I do is showing him how badly I want to play and how much I'm into that whole thing," Austin said. "I really do think my personality and my game fit that format. Hopefully, it will work out."