By Colin Montgomerie
GolfWeb contributing editor

There was a time not that long ago when the Masters was regarded as the first big tournament of the golf season. With the arrival of the World Tour and the continued development of the Tournament Players Championship that might not be strictly true now, but there's no doubt that the Masters is still very special to us all.

It's the first of the season's four majors. It's an event which is watched by literally millions of golfers all over the world and it's something which we all want to win. I've been fortunate to have competed in every Masters since 1992, and, while I didn't have all that much success to start with, my share of 8th place last year has shown me that I do have the game to do well round Augusta, provided, of course, that I am somewhere close to my best form.

Augusta isn't the place to go to if you are not firing on all cylinders. You need to be able to hit your second shots into precisely the right place at Augusta because, if you don't, you will leave yourself with an almost impossible pitch or putt. Likewise, your putting has to be red hot, too. There's absolutely no margin for error on Augusta's firm and fast green. Stroke the putts well and you can have a lot of success at Augusta because the surfaces are so true. Putt badly and the greens will soon find you out.

Last year's performance did me a lot of good because it means that for the first time I will be traveling to Augusta with confidence that I can play the course. Before last season I always had a bit of a doubt in my mind that I could do well at Augusta, but that has disappeared now, and I determined to build on what I achieved last year.

Monty's ready to face Augusta's new challenges.(AP)

I am also delighted to learn that, for the first time, the authorities there have decided to grow some rough around the course. I don't suppose it will be all that thick but that doesn't matter because, coming out of the rough, no matter how deep it is, it will be almost impossible to create enough spin to stop the ball on Augusta's exceptionally firm putting surfaces. Now, the premium will be on accuracy, not just with the shots to the green, but also from the tee, which should be beneficial to the more accurate golfers in the field.

The decision to grow rough is just one of a number of changes to be implemented in time for this year's tournament. Elsewhere, they have lengthened the par-5 2nd by about 20 yards, making it a three-shotter for all but the longest hitters; lengthened the 17th hole by about 25 yards, which will bring "Ike's Tree" (named after President Eisenhower who always used to hit it) much more into play; planted a row of trees to the right of the 15th and 17th; and raised the green at the 11th, meaning that the golfer who hits his second shot into the bail out area to the right of the green will face a much more difficult pitch to a green which slopes down to the water on the other side. This hole was the scene for Larry Mize's famous pitch-in to win the sudden-death playoff with Greg Norman in 1987.

Then, he hit a pitch and run, but, now, that option isn't available. All of us will have to reach for our lob wedges if we hit it out there; and then hope that the ball grips before disappearing down the slope towards the water. Even in the most gentle weather conditions, Augusta is going to be a tough test this time, which means we will all have to be on our best form to handle it.

So far this season, I have to admit, I haven't done as well as I would have liked, but I don't think there's all that much wrong with my game. In my last three appearances, at the Honda Classic (where I finished tied 38th), at Bay Hill (tied 60th) and at the Tournament Players Championship (tied 23rd) I hit a lot of good shots but wasn't able to sustain a challenge. My main problem so far has been my putting. It's not that I feel I have been putting all that badly, it's just that the ball hasn't been going into the hole quite as much as I would have liked. All golfers go through spells like that and we all know that, sooner or later, our luck will change. Let's hope mine does soon, because I'm determined to do well at Augusta to set me up for a good season in the majors.