Don't be surprised if the greening of the Masters Tournament continues this week.

That's green as in another over-par winning score at Augusta National Golf Club.

Green is the color the tournament uses to designate even-par and over-par scores on its leaderboards.

There should be plenty of it when the 94 players in the field tee off in the 72nd Masters on Thursday at demanding Augusta National.

Zach Johnson's 1-over-par 289 last year was the third time in 71 Masters that a score over par won the tournament. Since the other years were 1954 and 1956, this could be the first time it's happened in back-to-back years.

"They won't be lower; I think the scores may get a little bit higher," said two-time champion Phil Mickelson, citing the length of the course as the biggest factor.

Mickelson said a lesser factor is tightening of the course with the addition of trees over the past few years.

Mickelson's not even taking into account the possibility of bad weather.

"Yeah, without a doubt (it could happen)," Shaun Micheel said of an over-par winning total.

That's bad news for fans who like their Masters served with birdies as the main course and a splattering of eagles on the side. Instead, this Masters could make pars look exciting.

There were fewer birdies (only 720) and eagles (18) in 2007 than any year since 2003, when there were 13 eagles and 713 birdies.

The winning score could be over par "if it plays like it did today -- it was long," Trevor Immelman said.

Adam Scott said the wet course is playing so long that "it will be hard to hit a lot of shots close" once the tournament begins.

His prediction for the winning score? "A couple under, maybe, if the weather's good."

Rory Sabbatini, a co-runner-up last year, said the winning score will be "whatever the best guy shoots out here. That's all depending on so many things. I don't think there is a direct formula that says if you play well, you shoot this.

"You can never predict out here," said Sabbatini, who briefly led the 2007 Masters at 2-over for the tournament after making eagle on the eighth hole in the final round.

Even if bad weather doesn't come into play, the men in the green jackets can influence the winning score. How? Because they control the setup of the course -- the length and pin positions.

"They can make it as difficult as they want to make it," Micheel said. "They can dictate the score any way they want it, but they're fair about it. And I think that's why everybody likes coming here."

"I think every day shows you exactly what the course is going to give up or not," Sabbatini said. "The course gives up what it wants to give up and keeps what it wants to keep, and that's the way it is."

Last year, Augusta National lost some control of the scoring because of cold and windy weather, especially in the third round.

"That was definitely weather last year," said Micheel, referring to the 289 winning score.

Micheel doesn't think the powers at Augusta National want over-par winning totals.

"They like to keep it in single digits (under par) I think," he said. "They like to see the fans enjoy themselves with some eagles and some birdies."

The long-range weather forecast calls for higher temperatures through Saturday with the wind picking up to as much as 20 mph on the weekend. There is rain in the Friday and Saturday forecasts.

"It's not a matter of everybody playing mediocre to poor," Johnson said, referring to 2007. "It's just all condition-based. That's weather."

"We could have great weather and they could get the greens really slick and put all the tees back and they can keep it around par," Micheel said. "If the weather's bad, they might have to make some adjustments."

Reach David Westin at (706) 823-3224 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.