AUGUSTA, Ga. – For all the dread that Augusta National went over the top with its latest round of changes,the Masters sure looked familiar yesterday.

The star power came from Vijay Singh,who made three birdies on the six holes that were lengthened as he carved out a 5-under 67 for a one-shot lead.

The surprise – there is always one of those the first day at the Masters – came from Rocco Mediate, who put up four birdies for a 68 and his best start in this tournament.

Arron Oberholser played the role of the Masters rookie with no expectations, especially not a 69 in his first round.The sentimental favorite was Ben Crenshaw, whose 71 was his best score on this course since he closed with a 68 to win the Masters in 1995.

Singh and Mediate had something in common. They were the first two players to make birdies on the 11th hole, a tough test that became even harder when Augusta National decided to super-size its course to 7,445 yards – the second-longest in major championship history behind Whistling Straits.

That’s where the similarities end. Singh is a three-time major champion who won the Masters in 2000. Mediate qualified for Augusta based on a sixthplace finish at the U.S. Open last summer. Otherwise, he’s been mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, finishing 114th on the money list last year – an improvement on his 176th-place showing in 2004.

“I haven’t been here in a while,” Mediate quipped as he walked into the interview room. “Still the same, though.”

Oberholser didn’t have high expectations entering his first Masters, and his attitude remained the same after his 69.

“No one expects me to win this championship,” he said.”I don’t expect me to win this championship. I have goals, sure, but they’re very small ones. Baby steps, basically. This is not going to be my last Masters,that’s for sure.Learning this course is paramount.”

Tiger Woods, the defending champion,came in as the favorite to win his fifth green jacket – only Jack Nicklaus has more – and felt good about his opening 72. He holed out his second shot from 163 yards for eagle at no. 14, one of the toughest holes on the course. But he gave it right back with a double-bogey 7 at the par-5 15th, getting a bad break when his lay-up shot caught a divot, then he knocked it in the water.

Woods finished strong with a birdie at no. 18, leaving him solidly in contention. He opened with a 74 last year, but went on to beat Chris DiMarco in a playoff.

“I thought I played really well, actually,”Woods said.”I’m better than I was last year. I’m in good shape.”

Plenty of golfers struggled on the longer course. U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell had a 75. Two-time Master winner Jose Maria Olazabal carded a 76. So did American Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, two days after he was uninjured in a random driveby shooting on the way to pick up his family at the Augusta airport.

A dozen players, young and old, couldn’t break 80,and at least eight players had their worst score ever at the Masters, including David Duval (84), Mark O’Meara (81). and Mark Calcavecchia (80).

Singh was 1-under when he went to 11, “the hole we all think about before we go out there.” He pulled off a 5-iron from the right rough, the ball settling 10 feet from the flag.

A pair of South Africans were at 70: Two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen and Tim Clark. Two major winners from 2003, Mike Weir (Masters) and Ben Curtis (British Open), were part of the group at 71.

Phil Mickelson, considered most likely to knock off Woods after a 13-stroke victory at last weekend’s BellSouth Classic, was one of the last players to tee off. He was even through 13 holes.