Jack Nicklaus will play in the Masters for the 43rd time, convinced by two practice rounds at Augusta National that he feels good enough and hits the ball long enough to compete.

Nicklaus, a six-time Masters champion, played a practice round Sunday with his three oldest sons and played again Thursday with his youngest son and Arnold Palmer.

“While I don’t know if my golf game is good enough or not, I feel good enough physically, and I am hitting the ball long enough to play the golf course,” Nicklaus said on his Web site. “Now, it’s up to me.”

The 63-year-old Nicklaus did not say what he shot in either round, but did say the score was irrelevant.

He skipped the Masters last year because of lower back problems. Nicklaus is on a new diet that has left him trim and fit. The only thing left to decide was whether he could handle a course that is 7,290 yards — 305 yards longer than when he last played in the Masters.

During practice rounds last year, he hit eight fairway metals into the par 4s.

“Last year, I hit driver, 3-wood into No. 1, and this week I hit 6-iron into that green,” Nicklaus said. “On (No.) 9 last year, I hit 4-wood into that green, and I hit 8-iron Sunday.”

Even with a new tee on the fifth hole that added 20 yards, Nicklaus said he managed to reach that green with a 6-iron.

“When you can hit mid-irons into those new par 4s, that’s long enough for me to play the golf course,” Nicklaus said. “It’s certainly not Tiger Woods’ length.”