DULUTH, Ga. -- Phil Mickelson likes using the BellSouth Classic to build momentum for the Masters the following week.

This is his last chance.

Mickelson, a two-time BellSouth Classic winner, says the tournament helped prepare him to win the 2004 Masters -- his first major championship. But this will be the eighth and final year the BellSouth Classic, which begins Thursday, will be played the week before the Masters. The tournament at the TPC Sugarloaf moves to May next year as it searches for better weather.

"It's set up just perfectly," Mickelson said Wednesday. "It's great for the guys that came here to get ready for Augusta."

Chris DiMarco, who has three top-10 finishes at the BellSouth Classic, said "the weather will be better for sure" in May. But he said players will lose "a great tuneup for Augusta."

"Green speeds are very similar," DiMarco said. "It's always a great tuneup and I always look forward to playing in Atlanta."

Mickelson, who tied for 14th at THE PLAYERS Championship last week, said he spent Monday and Tuesday playing Augusta National, and he said the Duluth course is "similar."

"I feel as though this year I have started to play consistent golf, but I have to get over that hump a little bit," he said. "This week will be a good test for me to see if I'm improving."

The BellSouth Classic has been hounded by bad weather in the past, but this year's forecast looks much better. Morning fog reduced Wednesday's pro-am to a nine-hole event, but that may be the only weather issue of the week.

Last year, the first two rounds of the tournament were rained out. The third round was played in 30-degree wind chills, snow and sleet.

Eight of the top 20 PGA TOUR money winners are in the BellSouth Classic field -- including Rory Sabbatini, who ranks No. 1 on the list with earnings of more than $2.2 million. Other top players in the field: No. 4 David Toms, No. 8 Luke Donald, No. 9 Arron Oberholser, No. 12 Retief Goosen, No. 17 Davis Love III, No. 18 Jose Maria Olazabal and Mickelson at No. 20.

Donald and Olazabal were 4 under in Wednesday's pro-am. Mickelson was 1 under. Olazabal was one of four golfers who joined Mickelson in last year's playoff. The other three -- Brandt Jobe, Arjun Atwal and Rich Beem -- also return this year.

Mickelson also won the BellSouth Classic in 2000, when bad weather limited the tournament to 54 holes.

"Having to play all 72 is going to be a challenge," Mickelson said with a laugh.

Notes: DiMarco missed THE PLAYERS Championship last week with sore ribs following a fall while skiing. He said he is fully recovered. ... European Tour star Colin Montgomerie withdrew from the field Tuesday, choosing to prepare for the Masters by working out in private, according to his manager. Montgomerie missed the cut last week at THE PLAYERS Championship.

Editor's note: AP contributed to this report.