Jose Maria Olazabal claims every time he sets foot inside the grounds of Augusta National he feels "blessed". But the Spanish star, like so many others, is concerned what he might find when he returns there next week.

The Masters course has been stretched to 7,445 yards and Olazabal believes only about 10 players will be happy about that - the 10 longest hitters, of course.

"I think they have the biggest smile. From ear to ear, to be honest," said the 1994 and 1999 champion, who first of all will try to win the BellSouth Classic starting tomorrow in Atlanta - the event in which he lost a play-off to Phil Mickelson last year.

"It doesn't matter to me if they make the course 9,000 yards. The week is very special for me and I've done what I've done there. The two majors I've won, I won there. Golf has given me a lot and that place has given me most of it.

"I'm not going to complain about the course being that long, but the only thing I'm saying is that they have to be sure they are going in the right direction. The boys that have played the course already say it's very, very tough. With all the lengthening some of the pin positions we played all through the years are not going to be accessible except maybe for 10 players.

"Pretty much everybody agrees that the longer the golf course the better it is for the long hitters."

Asked how he thinks he might fare as a result, Olazabal added: "Through the years I've learnt not to think too far ahead. I've done well there when I've played well the previous tournament and I've done well there playing badly before. And I've had the opposite - not doing well there when I've played well before. Like last year."

There were extenuating circumstances on that occasion, though. The play-off with Mickelson was late on the Monday because of rain delays.

"The practice rounds were a little rushed. Maybe I didn't have enough time to really mentally prepare myself for it." He shot 77-76 and missed the cut by five. "It's a week where you have to go there with a kind of peace and a calm attitude. It takes a lot out of you, you have to be patient and you have to really control how much energy you are using in the practice round."

Mickelson, who spent the first two days of this week at Augusta, defends the BellSouth title against a field which includes not only Olazabal, but also Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, David Howell, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell.

Donald, Harrington and Howell are looking for a pre-Masters boost, but the other three have missed out on the first major of the season.