Practice and preparation has been hampered by frequent weather delays ahead of the 81st Masters, but Butch Harmon has described how the players will benefit from the extra downtime ...
We've endured a few weather delays on Monday and Wednesday that have obviously disrupted the players' preparation here at Augusta National. They are all used to these delays, but it's more difficult here for the Masters rookies.
The guys who flew in from last week's Houston Open are catching up with those who might have got here at the weekend or earlier, but I think there are many guys that tend to get to Augusta too early.
There's a danger of being worn out by the time Thursday comes along, and that can only favour the veterans who know how to prepare without the risk of burnout.
Many of the younger guys in the field this week who are making their first Masters appearance have been limited in how many times they can get out and learn the course. Augusta is a course you really need to play a lot to learn all the nuances, especially on and around the greens. They are the toughest set of greens you will ever putt on.
So these delays and interruptions are definitely tougher on the rookies, but having said that, there is a definite risk of over-preparation, particularly at the Masters.
Working out a balanced schedule in the build-up is crucial, and I feel Dustin Johnson in particular has got it just right this week. Dustin has played only nine holes on each day since getting to Augusta last week.
He's been busy on the practice range and working hard on his short game, and he'll go out and play nine holes when he's good and ready, take a break and then practice some more. Dustin is not playing in the Par 3 tournament as that's a chance for him to relax and get himself ready to go for the first round.
Players deal with these weather delays in different ways, but most of them will go and find their trainers and get a work-out, but they will also be relaxing away from the pressures of practice and preparation.
They might take the chance to go back to their hotels or house, spend some time with their families and friends, and weather hold-ups on a Wednesday can be a good thing. We're so close to the start of the first major of the year, so everyone is pretty much ready to go.
Enjoying some down time works in their favour. All the players are so amped up and keen to get under way, and all they can think about is practice, practice and more practice.
I've got four players here this week, Dustin, Rickie Fowler, Jimmy Walker and Gary Woodland, and they are all playing really well right now. But I've told them to relax as much as possible, to be well rested ahead of Thursday.
Rickie heeded that and stayed away from the course on Wednesday morning, and the time off will be of huge benefit in the long run.
Looking ahead to the first round, we're expecting a windy day with less gusty conditions as the day wears on, so it looks a favourable draw for those with a late tee time.
Dustin is out in the final group of the day and we've talked about that on the range, but although we've seen the forecast, you just don't know what you're going to get until you're out there.
If it's cold and blustery in the morning, with winds of around 20-25mph, then Augusta National is so much more difficult. If the winds die down later on, then it's a great break for the likes of Rory and Dustin.
We'll see how it plays out, but being a weather forecaster has got to be one of the best jobs in the world. You can be wrong 50 per cent of the time and still be right!
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