Ian Poulter is hoping a visit to an allergy specialist will help him make the leap from Open runner-up last July to Masters champion this Sunday.
Poulter suffers from asthma and hayfever and he said on Wednesday: "The hayfever was really bad at Bay Hill two weeks ago and I was quite happy to get off the course on the Friday."
The 33-year-old, top-scorer in last September's Ryder Cup with four wins out of five, missed the halfway cut in the Arnold Palmer Invitational and then sought out the specialist.
"I hadn't been able to shrug off a cold for a couple of weeks, so just wanted an opinion on what could be done.
"He gave me a different inhaler, different nasal spray, eye drops and tablets.
"Every time I've come to Augusta in the past it's been a problem because of the pines and the pollen, but so far this week it's been great."
The Masters will be just his fifth event of the year after undergoing eye surgery to correct poor vision in fading light and astigmatism in both eyes.
"It's made a big difference and because I've played so little I'm really fresh for this week and I've done some good work in practice."
Paul Casey, Nick Faldo's other wild card at the Ryder Cup, won the Houston Open last Sunday and Poulter added: "It was nice to see, for sure.
"There's no reason why it shouldn't have a snowball effect for other Europeans - there are so many good ones now and a lot are in their early thirties, which we all know is a good age in golf."
Last year at Augusta Poulter opened with rounds of 70 and 69 to be in joint third place at halfway, but he closed 75-78 and finished joint 25th.
(reopens) Poulter's preparations concluded with the nine-hole par-three competition, where he teed off with close friend Justin Rose - another hayfever sufferer - and three-time champion Faldo.
As with the last two years, Faldo is concentrating on television work rather than competing in The Masters this week.
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