Well, that was unexpected. No, not the fact Phil Mickelson won his second green jacket yesterday – he was the last man to win a major before the Masters, remember, won his first green jacket only two years ago, and last week battered a good field into submission with 31 birdies and two eagles – but virtually everything else.

At 7,455 yards, Augusta National was supposed to be way too long for three quarters of the field, especially with fairways bordered by distance-robbing rough and a downpour on Saturday afternoon that made most approach shots at least one club longer than usual. The final leaderboard, it was thought, would be comprised of the big five: Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, and Ernie Els. Sure enough, they all featured prominently, with only Els slipping away yesterday as fatigue and discomfort in his left knee set in. Maybe a handful of other long hitters would join them: Chad Campbell, Fred Couples, Angel Cabrera to name a few candidates.

So where on Earth did Tim Clark come from? The pocket-sized South African is averaging 276.3 yards off the tee this year, but holed a bunker shot on the 72nd hole to finish two back of Mickelson in second place.

Jose Maria Olazabal, in third, has added some distance this year, but still averages 15-20 yards less than Woods et al. The veteran Rocco Mediate, who was denied an eagle two at the ninth when his approach ricocheted off the flagstick but hung around valiantly until a horrible 10 at the par-3 12th, is a yard shot of averaging 280. Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, who, like Mediate, had a share of the lead briefly on the front nine, has trouble hitting it 275!

As for 54-year-old Ben Crenshaw, let’s just say no one, least of all Crenshaw himself, expected him to be around for the weekend, let alone under par and in the seventh to last pairing on Saturday.

What all this means is anybody who suspected Augusta would now be suitable only for bombers was sadly mistaken. Long hitters had a big advantage, of course, as they always do. But most observers were considerably wide of the mark in thinking shorter hitters would inevitably crumble up and die.

The lengthened holes – the first, fourth, seventh, 11th, 15th, and 17th were, statistically speaking, only slightly more difficult than they were last year. Players averaged .029 of a shot more at the par-4 first than they did in 2005, while the monstrous 505-yard par-4 11th played only 0.12 of a shot tougher. The par-3 fourth, which went from a 5-iron to a 3-iron or hybrid for most players, actually played easier – 3.27 shots to 3.20.

Whoever was responsible for the changes – Chairman Hootie Johnson or a committee of members – must be complimented for getting it right. The 2006 Masters was a typically exciting tournament where long driving wasn’t given the disproportionate advantage many expected. Seems the club knew what it was doing all along.

Phil Mickelson looked like he knew what he was doing all along, too. Two years ago on the 72nd green, his impressive leap into the air following the winning birdie putt spoke volumes about the relief he felt in winning his first major after a decade of trying. Yesterday, with the 2005 PGA Championship under his belt as well, Lefty strode the fairways with the air of a man destined to win. It wasn’t easy, of course, but one almost got the impression he was simply going through the motions during the last few holes – a champion at heart rather than a challenger.

Clearly, Mickelson has perfected his strategy for playing Augusta. Two years ago, he tempered his driving somewhat and with the help of teacher Rick Smith learned how to hit a controlled fade off the tee instead of the disobedient hook that had gotten him in trouble in years past. Last week, he took that approach one step further by adding a second driver to his bag, one which virtually guaranteed that disciplined right-to-left shot. His two-driver system worked to perfection in fact, allowing him to make mincemeat of the par 5s (4.19 average) like all good Masters champions should. And, just as he had in ’04, he shot at all the right flags, leaving those that threatened disaster for the reckless well alone. His putting, though not spectacular, was plenty solid (1.61 putts per green in regulation).

It was their disappointing performance on the greens that separated a host of other players from victory. Singh struck the ball beautifully all week but missed a number of crucial putts, as did Couples, who perhaps hit the ball better than anybody during the final round. Woods missed the must-make putts he has a habit of sinking in round four and afterwards admitted to putting like a “spaz.”

Ultimately, they all came up just a few holed putts short of Mickelson, who now has three majors and, it would appear, the confidence to win a boat load more.