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AUGUSTA, Ga. -- The first full day at the Masters turned out to be a short one Monday. Augusta National was open for only two hours because of storms, still enough time for a few players to see some of the changes to the golf course -- even though this was supposed to be a year with really no change at all. The ice storm in February that led to the demise of the famous Eisenhower Tree also cost the club countless other trees, giving Augusta a slightly different look. Instead of a forest of Georgia pines, players can see from the 10th fairway all the way across to the 15th fairway. Players couldnt help but notice the number of trees missing from the right side of the narrow, claustrophobic seventh fairway. "You dont feel like youre going down a bowling alley as much," Brandt Snedeker said, his hair wet from wearing a visor in the rain. The club lost thousands of limbs that were damaged from the ice storm, so many that Jimmy Walker said he saw workers up in the trees with chain saws when he came to Augusta a few weeks ago for a practice round. "I havent played here a ton, so I kind of got the feeling you could see down through the golf course a little bit better than you used to be able," Walker said. "I dont know if thats a good thing or a bad thing." Some things never change. The course was starting to burst with colour. The greens already had a tinge of yellow to them. And there was a buzz about the Masters, even without Tiger Woods around for the first time in 20 years because of recent back surgery. Still, nothing stood out quite like the 17th hole. Masters champion Adam Scott always assumed the 440-yard par 4 was a dogleg left because of the 65-foot high loblolly pine that jutted out from the left side about 220 yards from the tee, forcing shots to the right except for the big hitters who could take it over the tree. Mike Weir is not one of the big hitters, so when asked how he found the 17th hole on Monday, the Canadian smiled. "Much friendlier," he said. "I was playing with Jason Day. For him, it doesnt matter. He hits it high and long enough. For me, I had to hit around it. It was probably the toughest drive on the course. Now, its much easier." It was amazing to him to walk up the fairway and see a patch of pine straw where the tree once stood so proud and tall. Weir and several other players assumed that Augusta National would have another pine placed their before the Masters. Maybe next year. But not this week. The tree was such a treasure -- named after former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a club member who hit into the tree far too often -- that it was taken off site for storage. The club will determine later what do with the trunk and what limbs remain. But what a difference it has made already. "If the tree was there, I would have hit it yesterday," said Patrick Reed, who arrived on the weekend and already got in two practice rounds. "It was cold. It was a little into the wind and I hit it down the left side. I knew exactly where the tree was, and I probably would have caught the top half of that tree and would have been underneath it." "First three times I played this course it was there, and it made that hole really hard." Snedeker played on Sunday with Masters rookie Harris English and said he pulled his tee shot on the 17th. Any other year, he would have hit the tree. "It was perfect," he said. "Its still not an easy tee shot. But its not as hard as it used to be." The rest of the course should be the same as usual. The Masters can set up the course any way it likes -- difficult for scoring, or birdies that make cheers reverberate. It has trended toward excitement over the last several years, such as when Charl Schwartzel won with four straight birdies at the end, or even last year when Scott and Angel Cabrera in the last two groups each made birdie on the 18th to force a playoff. The biggest change is likely to be the guy in a red shirt. Woods won his fourth green jacket in 2005, though he usually kept it interesting, and always kept fans guessing. His back surgery last week means the worlds No. 1 player will be out of golf until the summer, and out of the Masters for the first time in his career. "Without Tiger here, its a different feel," Snedeker said. "Its a different event. He does a great job of bringing energy and bringing fans out that we dont usually get." Those fans had to leave early on Monday. By lunch, the course was closed for good. Masters chairman Billy Payne said they would get a refund in May, and they were guaranteed a chance to get practice round tickets for next year. Woods likely will be back by then. And odds are, there will be more trees. Ted Ginn Jr Jersey .Former NBA forward Morris Peterson has been added to TSNs Toronto Raptors broadcast team. Rick Leonard Jersey . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. http://www.officialneworleanssaintsfootb...k-jersey-womens. Now Arizonas new manager is hoping Yasmany Tomas can have the same effect on the Diamondbacks. Wil Lutz Jersey . The Suns termed Fridays surgery by team doctor Thomas Carter a success. No timetable was given for Bledsoes return but the team said in a news release that he "will pursue a possible return to action during the second half" of the season. Sam Mills Jersey .com) - Scott Parel carded a 5-under 65 on Thursday and he grabbed a 1-stroke lead after one round of the season-opening Panama Claro Championship. ST. LOUIS -- All Adam Wainwrights balky elbow needed was a little rest. The St. Louis starter tossed eight strong innings, and Matt Holliday broke an eighth-inning tie with a run-scoring double to lead the Cardinals to a 4-1 win over Philadelphia that snapped the Phillies season-high five-game winning streak on Saturday. Wainwright (10-3) allowed one run and six hits, struck out seven and didnt walk a batter for the Cardinals, who broke a three-game losing streak. He pitched on 10 days rest after missing a start due to elbow tendinitis. "That was the right decision," Wainwright said of skipping an outing. "I felt real good all game. Sometimes you never know how youre going to respond when you havent thrown very much. But I was fine. "The only time I even felt anything in my arm at all was my first swing where Cole Hamels jammed me and I grounded to third." Wainwright needed to be on his game to beat Hamels in a matchup of heavyweight arms. "It was a pitchers duel as advertised," Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Both guys were outstanding." Wainwright was slightly better. He never let a runner get beyond second base except in the third when the Phillies scored their only run. Wainwright, who lowered his ERA to 2.08, threw 104 pitches, 68 for strikes. "All of his pitches were sinking, and he mixed them up well," Philadelphia catcher Carlos Ruiz said. St. Louis manager Mike Matheny was impressed with Wainwrights command following the layoff. "Its just amazing how sharp he was," he said. "It looked like the Adam weve watched all season." Trevor Rosenthal backed up Wainwright by striking out two in the ninth to earn his 21st save in 24 attempts. Hamels (2-4) gave up three runs and seven hits over 7 11-3 innings.dddddddddddd He had a scoreless streak of 24 2-3 innings snapped on Matt Adams second-inning sacrifice fly. Hamels refused to speak with reporters after the game. Holliday ripped a one-out double to bring in Matt Carpenter and break the 1-1 tie. Carpenter coaxed a leadoff walk to begin the eighth. "At that point in the game, youre looking at having a chance to win if you can scratch across one run," Holliday said. "Luckily, (Hamels) left it up a little and I put a good swing on it." St. Louis added two more runs in the eighth to go up 4-1. Jhonny Peralta brought in Holliday with an infield ground out, and Adams followed with his second sacrifice fly of the game. "We grinded it out," Matheny said. "Were getting good at those close games by just staying the course." Philadelphia had tied it 1-1 in the third inning on successive singles by Cody Asche and Hamels, and a sacrifice fly by Jimmy Rollins. Asche, who grew up in nearby OFallon, Missouri, recorded his first hit at Busch Stadium. Rollins extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single in the eighth inning. NOTES: After the game, the Cardinals placed INF Kolten Wong on the 15-day disabled list due to a sore shoulder. Shane Robinson will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis in time for Sunday game. ... The game-time temperature was a season-high 92 degrees. ... Philadelphias Kyle Kendrick (3-6, 3.97) will face St. Louis Carlos Martinez (0-3, 4.19) in the series finale on Sunday. Martinez is replacing RHP Michael Wacha, who is being given extra rest. ... The Phillies didnt commit an error in the first six games of their current seven-game trip . ... St. Louis C Yadier Molina batted in the cleanup spot for the first time since June 20, 2013. 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