Masters seems to be built for two

The 71st Masters should get off without a hitch this morning, provided honorary starter Arnold Palmer doesn’t bomb his drive straight off the tee, have a flashback, and follow that little white pill down the fairway.

Palmer all but promised he wouldn’t give chase.

“I think I’ll let it go wherever it goes,” Palmer said of his ceremonial tee shot.

This isn’t 1964, the year Palmer won the last of his four green jackets.

This isn’t even 1997, the year a young Tiger Woods stormed Augusta National and turned golf head-over-spikes with his course record, one three-putt in four days, 18-under 270, winning by 12 shots after shooting four-over 40 on his opening nine.

Ernie Els said he joked to Woods last week: “If I knew then what’s happened now, I would have told you to stay in college for five years.”

Nothing was ever the same after that Sunday in ’97 and, paradoxically, nothing much has changed.

Ten years later, Augusta National is different and so is Woods.

But it’s still Augusta and it’s still Tiger.

The course has been tightened and lengthened and so de-Tigerized it seems almost unfathomable Woods could challenge his own course record.

“You’d have to play some serious golf,” Woods admitted.

Augusta National played to 6,925 yards in 1997 as opposed to 7,445 yards now.

There are trees now where there used to be landing spots, and if they move the tee box back any farther on No. 11, it’ll be in Macon.

The golf course has grown, and matured, and so has Woods.

He’s an older oak now, a husband, an expectant father, a 12-time major champion and a legacy chaser. He’s playing his first Masters since his father, Earl, died, and it’s no secret “tied for third” was not what either had in mind as a parting gift.

“Last year was a lot more difficult than I was letting on because I knew that was the last tournament he was ever going to watch me play,” Woods said. “I just wanted to win one for his last time and didn’t get it done and it hurt quite a bit.”

Everything has changed and nothing has.

They made Augusta National harder for Woods, but it’s twice as hard for everyone except Woods and his only dependable foil, defending champion Phil Mickelson.

Ten years later, Augusta National offers a field of 97 but a table set for two, not that anyone around here minds revisiting snapshot memories of Palmer and Jack Nicklaus exchanging jackets every year from 1962 through 1965.

Woods and Mickelson have won five of the last six Masters, with Canadian Mike Weir sneaking in for a visit in 2003.

Mickelson had to put the green-with-envy jacket on Woods in 2005, and Woods had to oblige Mickelson last year. Neither man wants to do that again.

“We’ve definitely gone at it here in this event,” Woods acknowledged.

The only thing missing has been a tete-a-tete on the back nine on Sunday.

Woods or Mickelson -- where else would you invest your stock?

The Europeans, who once owned a seven-out-of-nine streak starting in 1988, haven’t won here since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999.

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington is always a contender here -- in the par-three contest. The Euros, in fact, have gone winless in 29 majors since Paul Lawrie’s victory at the 1999 British Open.

The Australians have a couple of hungry crocs here in Adam Scott, winner of last week’s Houston Open, and Geoff Ogilvy, winner of last year’s U.S. Open, but every childhood memory they have of the Masters involves Greg Norman and a tissue box.

Scott was just a kid in 1996 when Norman conceded to Nick Faldo.

“That was heartbreaking to watch,” Scott said. “Obviously the whole country felt for him.”

Scott is playing in his sixth Masters, yet Tuesday marked his first invitation to the Press Center. That should tell you that his best finish has been tied for ninth.

The young Americans?

Well, once there was Woods ... until he turned 30.

One possible is local Charles Howell III, who grew up in Augusta. At age 27, he could be ready for his close-up after beating Mickelson in February in a playoff at the Nissan Open.

Among the old guard, you can always toot trumpets for Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh or Els -- all past major winners.

Furyk doesn’t hit it long, but hits it straight; he’s No. 1 on tour in driving accuracy. Singh, the 2000 Masters champion, is 44 but he has won twice this year.

Els is posting low again after limping back from knee surgery and is a sentimental Masters pick. He’s had six top-six finishes in 13 appearances and two silver-medal finishes, none more excruciating than his 2004 defeat to Mickelson.

“I’ve had 13 chances at it,” Els said.

Maybe 14 will be his lucky number.

This year’s Augusta yarn, though, always circles back to Woods and Mickelson.

Mickelson put Woods in his third place last year, but Woods responded by winning his 11th and 12th majors at the British Open and PGA Championship.

Woods is No. 1 in the world -- by the distance from here to Singapore -- and has won two of four events he has entered this year.

Mickelson lacks the momentum he took into the Masters last year, as recent tournament postings of 36th and 23rd would attest.

It was once Palmer and Nicklaus at Augusta, now it’s Tiger and Phil.

“I don’t try to compare myself against him,” Mickelson said. “What I do is try to win as many tournaments and as many majors that I can, and with him in the field, it just gives it more credibility, whatever it is I am able to accomplish.”

For what it’s worth: This is a major and Tiger Woods is definitely in the field.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com

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* TEE TIMES, D8